One Day of Serenity (rewrite)
by Counterfeiting Shakespeare
Summary: Her fight. Her Journey. Their destiny. One day is all that is needed to reveal the truth behind her existence. Will remembering the past mean letting go of her present? Her future? Usagi and Mamoru. First Season.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** It's been more than 15 years since I decided to write fanfiction for Sailormoon. My first, called 'One Day of Serenity', received some positive response and after such a long absence, I decided to finish it. The problem was it's been so long that my writing style changed a lot. I tried to find the original voice of the story, but find I'm unable to repeat it, so the whole turned into a disjointed mess. Now here I am writing it from scratch. Hopefully it's new and improved, and my old readers will enjoy this version as much as the old one. A crucial change from the original: Minako has been added into the story as early as chapter 1. Will be regularly updated every two days (hopefully). No beta reader.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailormoon. I am not profiting from writing this fanfiction.

* * *

 **One Day of Serenity**

Rei Hino was not having a good day. She hadn't had a good day in a week now. The current youma they were fighting have escaped them so many times and frankly, she was getting tired running around the greater part of Tokyo looking for it. Even in her present form-as Sailor Mars- it was tiring. Her friend Makoto also expressed her fatigue earlier, jumping on rooftops alongside the other Sailor Warriors, their movements too swift for average people to follow. Rei figured she was allowed to whine about her ouchies when Makoto herself was complaining about hers. After all, Makoto was the resident badass, and easily the strongest of the girls.

She slipped on the branch she was standing on because her legs were trembling so much, and suddenly found herself upside-down in a tree. The red skirt of her fuku, which on a good day barely hid what assets she had, was now completely useless. One of her leg was caught in another branch. In this position, she saw Sailor Moon snatched from where she'd been kneeling down by Tuxedo Mask. The hero threw something at the youma, hurting it. It screeched in pain, clutching at the fresh wound on its chest before it turned and ran away, looking for someplace else to hide.

Rei was about to cheer at her crush's sexy attack, but Tuxedo Mask took a second flying leap, this time away from the battle. No question about it, the man was leaving them behind yet again after doing his token Save-a-Senshii move. Kind of hurts a girl's feelings, but all five of them have gotten used to it.

Course, he never did it before while Usagi—in her Sailor Moon form—was still secure in his arms.

What.

The pain from the youmas' attacks sometimes made her hallucinate, but Rei knew what she was witnessing was really happening and not something her jealous heart was torturing her with. There was no way she was imagining the masked hero of Tokyo carrying a stupefied Usagi away from her warriors, the long streams of her gold hair swirling all around them. She narrowed her eyes, eyes sharpened as it was from being amplified by her senshii power, and saw Usagi turned her head towards her four friends, the freaked out expression on her face turning into giddy joy as she also realized she was being whisked away from the fight.

Rei saw Usagi make a victory sign at them before Tuxedo Mask took another flying leap and was soon too far away for even Rei to catch sight of them.

What. The. Hell.

Getting down from the tree was easier said than done, and it wasn't helped by the fact that she was weak with pain from multiple open wounds. When she finally got down, landing inelegantly on the base of the tree, she pummelled the ground in frustration.

Makoto let Rei do her thing to get her momentum back before asking in a bemused tone of voice, "Sailor Moon knows we still need her to dust that youma, right?"

* * *

A few feet from Makoto and Rei, Minako staggered, totally disoriented, until she slammed into another tree and nearly cracked her head open. She'd been standing next to Usagi when the youma let loose a barrage of what looked like metal balls. The blondes did their thing—mostly lots of screaming, before Minako did her other thing, which was to remember she was a kick-ass chick and that she could jump out of the attack. She waited too long though and had to settle falling facedown, a metal projectile having managed to clip her hip, so her angle of fall was off. This was not how her landings worked, dammit. Still better than being pummelled to death though.

That didn't stop her from hating the tree that somehow magically appeared in front of where she'd been walking after picking herself up just seconds ago.

Then Makoto said something about Sailor Moon and dusting youmas.

Minako looked around wildly, ignoring a mosquito that landed on the back of her hand and chowed down. Mother Nature and her were going to have a reckoning soon enough, but right now her focus was on looking for her leader. Gotta make sure Usagi wasn't dead. Minako could never be too careful; Usagi was one lucky girl, always managing to escape certain death every time they do a Dark Kingdom encounter, but Minako wouldn't pit Usagi's life with luck.

Minako automatically crouched in anticipation of an attack even as she scanned their surroundings. The closest thing she received came in the form of a small black-and-white cat, which came to inspect the tree she was going to disintegrate later, and gave her knee a disinterested sniff and moved on.

"Where she?", she asked, when she didn't see Usagi anywhere.

Makoto gave her a tired, slightly mischievous grin. When she told Minako what just happened, Minako gasped, and had to clutch her tree for support. "Not even," she answered Makoto, but Makoto shrugged because really, what else was she supposed to add? Minako turned to look at where Ami was watching the horizon where their friend disappeared in. "Sailor Mercury?"

Ami nodded, slightly bewildered but mostly uneasy.

Minako turned back to Makoto, and saw Rei a few feet from the Lightning Senshi. Rei was not looking like a happy camper. That more than anything convinced her that Tuxedo Mask most definitely kidnapped their leader. Just up and grabbed her, with the moon full and luminous in the night sky, the air mostly sweet smelling on account they were in the park. Freaking romantic. And about freaking time! Also, oh fuck. Because Makoto was right and as amazing as Minako was about kicking ass, these new youmas were beyond a pain in the neck and took a lot of work to destroy without Usagi's help. Honestly, they'd never really managed to actually kill one without Usagi's tiara.

Minako sighed, before shaking her head, hoping to clear the buzzing going on in there. Eff it, she thought. She cracked her knuckles. That youma tried to kill her. Ever since fighting alongside Usagi and the rest, Minako had to curb her bloodlust, some instinct kicking in telling her she had to mimic Usagi's more innocent, gentle and kind-hearted nature. Now the other blonde was away, and Minako can feel the mantle of leader falling comfortably on her shoulders. That youma? _So dead_.

The thought lifted her spirits.

* * *

She was in Tuxedo Mask's arms.

Seriously, she'd faint except even Usagi wasn't so stupid to waste the chance. Need to stay awake, she sing-songed to herself, because ohmahgowdi'mwithmyspiffydudemask! Which made no sense, she thought, frowning a bit as she tried to fix the wording in her head. Kind of hard, because some dead language was echoing in there.

What.

Usagi shifted so she could scratch her head, and heard Tuxedo Mask say something underneath his breath.

"Huh?" she asked him, pretending her turning her head totally didn't meant she accidentally brushed her lips on his neck because hogod her heart was beating a mile a minute because holy crap that totally didn't happen ohman she was having a heart attack she needed to squeal seriously.

"Don't touch your head. You got hit. I need to check if you're okay." He sounded preternaturally calm, which wasn't fair because Usagi was a fizzling bundle of nerves. If he hadn't been holding her so tight, she would have beyond levitated herself from his arms with how high and on edge she was. Fly away because giddy-joy-joy, she was in Tuxedo Mask's arms.

She tried to look at him, but it was hard to get a good angle, smooshed as she was to his chest and his cape billowing all around them. Heh, like she's complaining?

Still, he should be assured she was fine.

"Beloved, hear reason. I am well."

That caused them to both go still, caught as they were mid-jump. Usagi was sure she was about to die of embarrassment anytime now, and really wouldn't have minded it because dude what the hell did she just spew there? Beloved what?! Not that she thought he understood because thinking back, it didn't sounded like she said it in Japanese.

She's basically losing her mind then? Rei should be pleased, Usagi thought darkly.

She was just about to clear her throat when Tuxedo Mask tightened his hold on her some more and suddenly changed the angle of their descent so that they dropped abruptly rather than the leisurely free-fall she was used to. Usagi had the brilliant idea to check their descent. In her mind, she was suddenly flailing through air, the roof of a large building growing swiftly - and lethally - bigger in her view.

There's a terrified squeak and a split second thought that actually, she was pretty used to landing from high places now so she really shouldn't be scared?! before something in her insisted she was not used to this sort of crap and ladies of noble birth weren't supposed to jump from rooftops.

And then Usagi fainted.

Mostly because that's what the voice in her head said she should do.

* * *

Mamoru Chiba spent more than a decade trying to stave off boredom by calling it solitude and quiet. All that went down the toilet when he realized the wacko running around Tokyo in a tuxedo, a top hat, and a freaking cape was none other than his amnesiac self. It hadn't been easy putting two and two together since he tended to black out the parts when he became Japan's caped crusader, but then Sailor Moon happened. The blackouts stopped and he could remember everything that he did in his alter ego's persona, everything crystal clear and enough to make a man question his sanity on remembrance.

But Mamoru used to have a rose that didn't wilt, and continuing dreams of a delicate, moonlit washed princess begging him to find a jewel for as long as he could remember. Playing sidekick with a less than heroic blonde didn't seem too far-fetched. Besides, he liked Sailor Moon. He liked her a lot that was more than legal, now that he could see how truly young she really was, knocked out cold in his arms, the two of them hidden from view behind a shed on top of the roof of a building.

He should take her back to her warriors. He knew this. They needed her to fight the youma, because it didn't matter how much stronger and more competent they were at doing their job; when pushed came to shove, it was Sailor Moon who had to step up and do the final blow.

So much power in her.

When she got hurt from that last attack, her head snapping back with a sickening crack, Mamoru swooped down to get her away from the danger. Her senshii wouldn't mind, he'd reasoned to himself. It was a known fact in Tokyo that Tuxedo Mask was pathologically over-protective of Sailor Moon. He brushed the fringe of gold hair from her face and frowned when he saw the nasty bruise on her forehead.

So much power, yes, but still capable of getting hurt.

He arranged her to a more comfortable position, being careful to cradle her head as he inspected the wound, telling himself she had worse before and survived them. He wasn't sure how he felt about her being asleep, but in the end decided it was better this way. He was far too nervous than he'd let on, even to himself. The blonde might pick up on it and Mamoru didn't want to cause her anymore stress.

Plus awake, he'd be unable to stop himself from asking about that beloved remark she gave earlier. He was studying medicine, and while he wasn't some linguistic genius—it wasn't his field of study—he recognized Latin enough from some medical terms to know when he was hearing it being spoken. Or something that sounded like Latin, he told himself. His dream princess' language of choice.

Now Sailor Moon was using it.

Mamoru leaned his head, using the wall of the shed as backrest. He'd bring her back to the fight, but only after it was over; her senshii were the only ones who knew where to take her home. Right now Sailor Moon stays with him and if the girls knew what was good for them, they wouldn't try to get their leader away before he was ready to let her go.

He glanced at the sleeping girl. She was curled up, head on Mamoru's chest, the sound of his heartbeat and the scent of the summer night calming her a little. He knew this, but didn't know how he knew. Hesitantly, he put his arms around her, feeling the fragile shape of her shoulders from underneath the cape. She was connected to all this: the crystal, the princess, his powers. There will come a time he must insist on answers. But tonight, she's in her arms, safe from harm.

Tonight, that was all that mattered.


	2. Chapter 2

She thought she knew this embrace, this golden warmth. He is where she shelters.

And she stirred where she'd kept her breath-soul in a silver dream.

For he was back and she must wake up.

Together, she thought. They will be together again.

From the moment she realised he was her heart-keeper, being together with him was all that mattered.

* * *

Usagi woke up and found Rei's face uncomfortably close to hers.

And it wasn't like she had a death-wish, but Rei's face was really, really, _really_ close. So what's a girl to do but screech 20 decibels higher than necessary, have her hands suddenly on her friend's face to shove it away from hers and whine, "Nooooooooo! Not my first kiss!"

Some sighs of relief all around them and a rogue snicker.

"She's fine," Makoto said, waving an arm in a dismissive manner, even as she fondly helped their leader up to a standing position.

"She won't be if no one helps me keep Mars away from her," Minako snarked back, then yelped as Rei tried to bite her hand. Minako unerringly guessed Rei's shouts of outraged at Usagi's treatment of her and went to cover the dark-haired girl's mouth before hurtful words were said. Usagi and Rei's bickering were fun in small doses, but Usagi looked too pale and too frail right now than her usual robust self. It wouldn't be a fair match of two loud-mouthed idiots trying to sound like they were all that back and forth.

Ami looked torn. Minako looked like she was struggling stopping Rei from committing something not-quite-murder-but-you-almost-wished-it-was-because-dead-means-it-wouldn't-hurt-anymore, but Usagi was frowning and holding her head, looking ready to pass out again. "Sailor Mars," she said, her tone gentle but chiding.

That got the girl to stop her trashing instantly, her gaze sharpening in on their hurt friend. Annoyance gave way to concern. Minako, who had been enjoying manhandling Rei a bit, reluctantly let her go. Then she nudged Rei forward, knowing nothing on Earth would stop the worried priestess from making sure Usagi was alright. It was just how they were. Each of them loved each other dearly, but it was understood that all of them had a different 'thing' with the first senshii. What made their relationship with their odango-headed leader special. Rei liked to show hers with a sadistic streak that oftentimes led Usagi to cry her heart out.

God save anyone else who tried to do the same though. Rei has few true triggers in life, and hurting the smallest of their group was one of them.

"You, idiot," she muttered as she stepped closer to their leader. "Sailor Mercury, do something. That—on her head, oh, God, Sailor Moon, how clumsy can you get! And to run off with Tuxedo Mask like that—"

"You lucky dog!"

"—to _run off_ with Tuxedo Mask like that—"

A squeal now from the other blonde in their group.

"—will you guys quit it! She's not okay!"

"No, I'm fine." Usagi pushed away from Makoto, looking up at her and smiling to show Makoto it was alright to stop holding her up already before she turned towards Rei. "You were worried about me! That means you luuuuuuuuurve me", she squealed and managed a short clap of pure glee before Rei's face turned murderous again.

"I'm going to kill her now," Rei announced.

It took Makoto, Minako, _and_ Ami to keep Rei from doing what she said she would do. It didn't help that Usagi started prancing around them singing how Sailor Mars cares about her a lot _la-di-dah._ In the end, Makoto was tasked of forcing Rei to go home with her using a different direction from the other three senshii.

* * *

Chapter 2

Usagi woke up bright and early the next morning, and this scared the living shit out of Luna.

"It's 6AM. You're awake."

"It is customary to do so after a night's rest."

"But you're really awake?"

"I believe so."

"...really?"

"Luna."

A staring match between cat and girl happened next, and Luna would have won, because she was a cat, _damnit_ , but the bloody girl reached out to scratch her behind the ears. It was a foul move that had Luna purring and closing her eyes in pleasure. It was so nice that when Usagi stood up to get ready for the day, the prim and proper Luna kept sitting down on the bed, purring her furry little ass off.

It was much later, after Usagi left for school on time for the very first time, that she recalled the exchange of words between her charge and herself.

It didn't quite scare the living shit out of her, no, but it worried her enough she called the other four girls and ordered them to keep an eye on their leader.

* * *

School went well, all things considered. Naru was surprised to find Usagi already in her seat when she and Umino came inside together, but that was all. Usagi was too charming, too distractingly her and not her for Naru to focus on the fact her best friend wasn't late for school that day. Even Miss Haruna faltered just a teeny bit, before getting caught up with the fact Usagi was so pleasing to be with. It was nothing she did or said, and Usagi even at her whiniest was a sweet and engaging child, but just _something_ about the girl radiated the gentlest and calming presence that morning.

She was... Usagi, Miss Haruna thought, watching her closely while they did their English translations. She laughed. She had fun. She teased and spoke a little too loud. She frowned too much at something confusing in her notes, nod vigorously at herself when she understood it, before scribbling furiously again. She's just another girl. Her smiling face was like anyone else's, only supernaturally beautiful in that endearingly unconscious way that always made Miss Haruna forgive her five minutes too early than she should have when Usagi did something aggravating in the past. She was how Usagi should be.

But there was something different. Something other.

Makoto, Minako and Ami thought so, too.

"Aliens," Minako said solemnly. She took a dainty sip from her strawberry milk carton and stared at Ami, daring the genius in their group to come up with a better explanation.

Ami frowned. It was an insult to science to just accept Minako's assessment about alien body snatchers catching Usagi in the night, but as a senshii who'd seen all manner of shit, aliens weren't really that big of a stretch. Still, she had to put _some_ sort of resistance. For science.

"I don't think-,"

"Brainwashed?" Makoto interrupted.

Yes!, thought Amy. Brainwashed made more sense. She started to nod and say her thoughts on the matter, but Minako slammed her drink carton down hard and exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe they finally kissed! And it kind of fried Usagi's circuits because it was so hot!"

"Oh, man. I know mine would!"

"I mean, we mostly just see the tip of his nose then his lips and chin and jawline, but he looks like a good kisser!"

"I loooooove his jawline!"

Ami didn't consider herself a violent person, but she thought it better to excuse herself from the swoonfest happening before she tried to smack some sense back into her friends. Walking away from Tuxedo Mask's not-so-secret fangirls, she made her way towards Usagi. The blonde excused herself earlier, apologising profusely, but that she needed to ask Naru about some parts of tomorrow's homework. At that time, Ami had been so pleased Usagi was finally focusing on schoolwork that she'd cheerfully waved the blonde girl off. Minako and Makoto were the first to point out how freaky that was, how bizarre, and they'd watched her as she navigated the cafeteria to reach Naru's group.

Usagi... Usagi walked like she was gliding. But not really, because that would look beyond stupid—a gliding walk. Still, there'd been grace there, and elegance, and unconscious sense of self, that nearly all students in her way made room for her, clearing a path to make it easier for the blonde to reach Naru.

It had been freaky to watch.

It had been beautiful to watch.

And then Minako started sprouting about this movie she watched about aliens and hot airmen, and how cool would it be if they all fought in Ray-Bans.

Reaching Usagi, Ami dismissed all thoughts about blondes and their stereotypes. "Hey," she called softly, "Did you get what you needed?"

"Oh! Yeah! Naru didn't know either but Umino did. Lemme just say goodbye."

Ami nodded, smiling politely at Usagi's other posse, feeling a little awkward in their presence. She liked them all, and wouldn't have minded to have called them her friends, but she was too shy and they were too awed by her. Even Umino, who gets good grades, looked slack-jawed in Ami's presence. She knew why she was treated so, but it made her feel alienated. Singled out. So it was a relief to have Usagi link arms with her and then ask if they could make a detour to the vending machine, citing a desire for chocolate milk.

"So," Ami said, "how are you feeling?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Your head doesn't hurt?"

Usagi briefly touched the spot where she'd been hit last night, fingers grazing the golden strands of her hair before shaking her head. "I'm good, Ami. Please stop worrying. Rei won't stop asking if I'm alright and it's getting annoying."

The brunette felt rebuked, and despite her effort to hide it, Usagi heard the hurt in Ami's tone. "We're just worried about you, Usagi. It took us a good hour before we found you. Tuxedo Mask didn't even wait for us to get near you enough to ask why you were unconscious."

She'd drop the volume of her voice because this was senshii business, but the other girl didn't bother. Upset at upsetting her friend, Usagi stopped walking to give Ami a hug.

"It's good. He wouldn't hurt me. And thank you. I know it's why you're all all over me. I do."

"Tuxedo Mask is-,"

"Is a friend, Ami." The blonde took a step back, grabbing Ami's hands in her own and gave both a squeeze. "I'm really okay, you know." Then Usagi does what Usagi does best, which was to turn up her smile up to eleven. It was the typical trademark smile and it would have done a perfect job of easing Ami's worries except Usagi winced after two seconds.

"Usagi..."

"Yeah, just a headache." She scrunched her nose. "Guess I'm not _that_ fine, huh?"

"No, you're not," Ami said sternly. Changing the positions of their hands so that it was now Ami who has hold of Usagi's, she started to drag the protesting blonde to the nurse's office.

* * *

This was what she knew: In his arms, there were no rules, the centre didn't hold, nobody was watching her, or judging her. She thrived, in his arms. The walls where a body meets a body, the rules be which she must abide, did not exist. In his arms, she was just a girl.

And she loved him so.

But how to tell him she was meant for something else. To be in the world, but not of it. To help and to heal, and to save the world, and in so doing, save herself. To fulfil her destiny: to love them and take care of them, show them the glory of peace. To show her infinite mercy matched only by her power, and complete control. Hers was to give up the right to walk in this world, for a duty that must be obeyed for her soul to stay intact, unbending.

But, oh, she loved him so.

* * *

Usagi woke up for the second time that day, but instead of the pink of her bedroom, it was the sterile white of the nurse's office. She woke up, looking uncomfortable, with haunted eyes, and the weight of the world on her shoulders. That was how it felt. That she was lit from within; that the breath of death was on her face long before she realized she died miles back.

She was at the crossroads, she thought, where she would meet the one _they called Hecate._ Usagi thought, Hecate has many faces, and none.

"Usagi?"

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with her?"

That question... Usagi blinked, and tried to focus on the people in the room. She saw Minako, Makoto, Ami and Rei looking at her. All four were worried. She had to stare at Rei though, because Rei's normally perfectly pressed skirt was torn.

"She climbed up the window," Makoto explained.

"Idiot Usagi," Rei muttered. But the insult lacked heat, especially since Rei decided to sit next to her on the bed and gave Usagi a tight hug. "Look, we're getting you out of here, okay? Well, Luna's going to pretend to be your mother and give permission for you to come home. I'll wait for you guys at the side of the building."

She gave Usagi another worried smile, then went to the window to start her climb down. Minako spared Rei a glance to make sure their black-haired friend wouldn't break her neck what with her wearing ridiculously stylish heels, before turning her attention back to Usagi. "Ami and me, we're gonna make like a ghost and skaddadle. See you in the park, alright?"

"But I'm fine, you know!" It felt like all she'd done was assure them she wasn't hurting. And she wasn't lying. She really did feel perfect. Except for that headache.

"It's okay. Ami needs to know how it feels like to skip class anyway." Ami nodded, looking determined not to puke because she was going to miss fifth period. Before she and Minako left though, they exchanged looks with Makoto, who wasn't her usual, laid-back self. Usagi tried to protest again, feeling guilty because it must be killing Ami to miss class just because of her, but Makoto laid a hand on her shoulder. It was a gentle but firm hold. Helplessly, Usagi watched her friends leave the room, with now only Makoto to keep her company.

"Luna's going to call soon. Ami called your home earlier, pretending to leave a message to your mom about you being sick."

"Makoto, what's going on? I don't need to skip school." Words she never thought she'd say.

Makoto hesitated and it made Usagi worry more. It didn't help that she seemed to come to a conclusion because with a shake of her head, she sheepishly told Usagi, "I'm not the best person to explain, okay? I'll let Ami and Luna explain...It's just, just that you were mumbling some strange words while you were asleep. I didn't get it, but it got Ami freaking out enough she was the one to say we skip class. But look," she quickly added, when Usagi started looking wild-eyed, "it's all fine. That's what Luna said anyway. Let's just wait for the nurse to say I can take you home, alright? We'll get it all cleared out."

It was the best she could do. Usagi nodded, her eyes downcast, watching her hands clutching the bed sheet tightly. Makoto sighed. "We trust Luna, yeah? Don't worry about it." Usagi didn't see Makoto's impish grin. "Besides, now I've got you all alone, you can dish out what you and Tuxie did when you guys ran out on us. Least you can do, since that youma was a pain in the ass to kill. Tell the truth, did he felt you up?"

That did the job. Usagi jerked her head up, blushing furiously, and started to whine Makoto's name. By the time the nurse turned up to tell them Mrs. Tsukino had been informed Usagi needing to come home, the two girls were laughing and gushing about shared crushes. Makoto was dreamily recalling about her 'sempai' and Usagi giggling like a little girl because she'd just told Makoto about the time Motoki Furuhata patted her on the head and exclaimed how soft and smooth her hair felt. Not to brag or anything, but that totally meant Motoki loved her.

* * *

(A/N: Mamoru in next chapter.)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

In the park, there were no appreciating the bright green world full of flowers and birdsong and fluttering butterflies. At least not for the five girls and the two cats deep in a grove of old growth pine. Four of the girls were too busy staring at the fifth girl, while the two cats were grim of face as they furiously typed things on what was Ami's portable computer.

The fifth girl was deeply resenting feeling like something icky. Minako and Makoto assured her she was nothing of the sort earlier, but then Rei started doing her chanting thing while Ami scanned her with her computer. Then Rei started to spazz which caused everyone to scream and shout. That was when Usagi sorta-kinda- _totally_ glowed and then Rei fainted.

She didn't stay unconscious for very long but still.

Also, Usagi felt it was unfair how Luna made it sound like it was somehow her fault.

When the priestess came to, there was a split second where she started to genuflect in front of Usagi, but the blonde gave Rei a flying tackle which caused Rei to snap out of her befuddled state. Rei started to shout how Usagi was too heavy and needed to stop being a freaking pig all the time.

That didn't go very well. Even Minako was of the opinion Rei could have been a bit more diplomatic about Usagi's weight.

Naturally Usagi had been about to cry how Rei was being so mean, except Artemis casually started to claw at her leg. Artemis had been about to explain some crazy theory about hurting Usagi. Next everyone knew there was another bright light, Artemis was down for the count, Rei was saying something was very wrong with their Senshii leader, and the rest of the girls were staring at her like she was something dangerous.

Like, hello? Artemis was the one who started to use her a scratching post.

So now here they were. Usagi was sniffing the last of her bawl out, while the two cats were frustrated because they had no thumbs. Or anything resembling working fingers. As for the rest of the girls...

"This is stupid," Minako bit out. She shrugged out Ami's hold of her and glaring down at Makoto-who looked unsure what to do-started to step closer to where Usagi was now giving hopeful, tremulous smiles. "It's Usagi."

Minako ignored Luna and Rei's shouts to wait. That they weren't sure if it was safe, but Minako sassed back she'd have drop kicked Artemis out of Juuban had it been her leg the cat scratched. That seemed to break the tension, with the rest of the girls snapping out of their apprehensive state. It was actually Makoto who ended up getting to Usagi first, soothing the crying girl and apologizing for freaking out a bit earlier. She inspected their leader, checking to see how badly Artemis scratched her but saw the wounds have healed already.

Rei was more hesitant, but Usagi looked so pitiful, so gosh darn stupid with those big, teary eyes...

So what if she saw death and destruction in her vision earlier? The end of the world, but that couldn't be right. Like Minako said, it was Usagi. Usagi wouldn't hurt a fly. And the vision hadn't been the clearest. All foggy, mostly.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Usagi started.

Rei shrugged, before patting Usagi's shoulder. Rei doesn't realize it, but there's a sadness in her eyes, just next to her faith in Usagi. She decided, right then and there, that the others didn't need to know about what she saw with her third eye. Not yet anyway. "I'm sorry, too," she told Usagi. "I got scared. I didn't mean it when I said to stay away from you."

Usagi smiled, if a little uncertainly, nodding a bit like she understood exactly what Rei meant.

"We still don't know what that light was about," Artemis called out to them. Luna nodded, punching furiously at the computer. She would have liked Ami's help, but something stopped her from letting the genius in on what she and Artemis were trying to find out. It made no sense, even she knew that, but the compelling feeling she had to keep all this between just the two of them stayed strong. In fact, when Makoto tried to peer at what it was they were doing, Luna felt her hackles rising, causing the girl to back away from the two cats warily.

"What's wrong with Luna?" Makoto asked under her breath. "This day is so effing weird. Like everyone's nuts."

"I'm not!" Usagi protested, looking ready to cry again.

Makato quickly tried to appease her, looking helplessly at the others for help. "I didn't mean it that way, Usa," Makoto explained. "You..."

"Need a milkshake?" That was Ami. Best she could do, all things considered. Every particle of her being wanted to snatch her computer back, but Luna was their elder. If Luna said she needed Ami's computer, Ami had no choice but to lend it. Besides, there were things that words can't do. That they're not designed to do. Human brains can't operate them properly. It would sound like gibberish, like the nattering of the sibylline oracles, or worse. There are truths: emotional, even cosmological, that can't survive being squished down into petty words. The world went wrong today, and it felt to Ami like they were all turning a little mad trying to make sense of it. There were no words right now to explain what was going on.

But milkshake Usagi could understand easily. Milkshake would make Usagi feel better the way unclear explanations from them won't be able to.

"Milkshake?" Rei asked, looking at Ami like she'd grown two heads.

"Strawberry milkshake," Ami amended.

That did the trick. Usagi visibly brightened, and her crying stopped altogether after Ami pulled out her wallet, indicating it would be her treat. Rei shook her head, disgusted with it all, but Ami ignored her to tell the two cats they were going to get something to drink for a bit.

"Anyone else coming?" Ami asked, looking at Rei, Minako and Makoto. Only Makoto nodded, Minako calling out brightly she was going to stay to keep and make sure the cats don't do anything stupid. Rei bit her lower lip first before shaking her head, and finding a spot to sit quietly, started to meditate. Ami watched Minako and Makoto conversing quietly, before Minako gave her and Usagi a thumbs up and loudly asking if they can order a fruit smoothie for her when they get back.

Watching Usagi skip ahead of them, she asked Makoto what Minako said before they left.

"Just told me to keep Usagi safe," Makoto said.

Ami nodded. "I should be the one staying with the others but I don't think Luna wants me to."

"Yeah, that's what Minako thought too, that's why she's staying to see what it's all about. Those cats are too secretive sometimes. It's stupid."

Ami could see Makoto wanted to talk more, but that wasn't her way. Her face void of emotion, she went back to watching Usagi skipping ahead of them. She should be with Luna and Artemis, because finding out things was what she was good at. But she wouldn't change places with anyone. She knew both Minako and Rei would rather be where she and Makoto were, watching their leader giggle her way to the Crown's Fruit Parlor, making sure no harm came to the blonde. She was privileged to be here instead of her more offensive attack comrades.

* * *

When the girls got to the Crowns, it took them a moment to wonder why the place looked near empty, lacking the usual gaggle of teens and young kids who frequented the place. Motoki was holding audience with a bunch of people who looked like they were in college, judging from their age and style of dress, and Ami bit a groan when she saw a familiar green jacket in the group.

Makoto saw it a few seconds later and started muttering under her breath.

When Motoki looked up to greet who it was that came in, his frown and surprised look was not nearly as intimidating as the one Mamoru sported when he saw the three girls.

"Shouldn't you three be in school?" he asked, just as Usagi passed him and his friends and secured herself a spot on the stool farthest from Mamoru. She gave the young man a raspberry before giving Motoki an angelic smile and started listing her order. Somewhere between the park and Crowns, Usagi had decided free milkshake also meant an order of lava cake, some sweet buns and a brownie. It was only after she ordered that she worried Ami might not have enough money for everything and sheepishly started to cancel what she asked for, but Ami waved it all aside, assured Usagi she could have anything she wanted and asked Motoki to bring her sweet tea.

"Odango," Mamoru called out. Usagi gave him a death glare.

"It's fine, Chiba-san," Makoto interjected smoothly. She sat herself on the remaining stool, effectively blocking Usagi from Mamoru's view. This was very brave of her because everyone knew it was best to let Mamoru and Usagi have clear space between them when they started their bickering, but she took cues from the fact Usagi chose to sit herself as far from Mamoru today as she possibly could. "We got early out today. Tell him, Ami."

Ami's face was the picture of innocence as she proceeded to validate Makoto's lie. "We're doing a project for school and were allowed to leave early."

"Oh," Motoki mused, his confused look clearing after hearing Ami's explanation. From the other girls, even Usagi (who couldn't lie to save herself), Motoki wouldn't have believed a word, but Ami Mizuno was a trustworthy girl. "Well, that's nice. I guess I need to get more stuff ready then, since others will be coming here soon. Hey, thanks for the head's up."

"There won't be anyone else. It's just us that got out early. It's a super-mega-secret project," Makoto explained. Ami would have kicked Makoto for it, but she settled with grimacing. If she hadn't spoken, the three of them would have gotten their order and left the place, leaving Motoki to wonder why the rest of Juuban High weren't stopping by.

"That's not suspicious at all," Mamoru drawled from where he was seated. Ami chanced a glance at him while Motoki looked at Makoto questioningly. Makoto was panicking under that bright blue gaze, so innocent and guileless like Usagi's, but Ami was focused on the fact Mamoru was ignoring a brown-haired woman's question to him on account he was too busy trying to lock eyes with Usagi.

Usagi was too busy examining her nails though.

Coming to the Crowns? Yeah, it may not have been a smart idea.

* * *

Mamoru's crime was loneliness. His tragic past showed it for what it was, losing not just his family but even his memories of them. It was too terrifying to want more, to hope more, only to face the thought of losing everything again, so he settled for the exquisite dull ache of being alone after he woke up from the accident. Maybe he did something that caused all this. Maybe he deserved to forget. So he punished himself just enough, by staying where he were. No friends, no family, just himself.

Never trying, always existing. Mamoru was a wizard at it. He strove to be the best, even in the half-light. And he wrapped himself in his loneliness.

When he met Motoki, he found himself unable to shake off the tow-headed boy. Motoki refused to believe Mamoru didn't want to be friends with him, and cheerfully tried to break down Mamoru's walls. He didn't do that great a job, but his persistence paid off enough that others were able to sit close to Mamoru Chiba and start conversing with him on a more regular basis. Motoki was the key; with him around, it made Mamoru seem easier to talk to, less imposing and perfect and more a guy one could tell people they were close to. It was wonderful for them, because their lives felt more special now that they could lay claim on the young man.

And Mamoru was grateful for their company, he truly was. But even with them around it was the same old life. Nothing changed. He still can't remember, and the blackouts were still terrifyingly real and without answers. He still dreamed of a shadow woman who kept begging for her crystal. Oh, he tried. When Motoki started to introduce him to more people, Mamoru actively tried to find answers for himself. Looking at every jewelry store he passed, hoping one of them would call out to him somehow, even reading more about his family history. And then he wakes up the next morning, same old life.

The day he met Usagi though...

Was the day he met Sailor Moon.

Was the day he realized the woman in his dream was a princess and the ruined palace around them her home.

Was the day it was revealed the crystal could help him remember everything.

Was the day he found out he was Tuxedo Mask.

Was the day he found out he could be a bit of a jerk to a fourteen year old girl, instead of the unfailingly polite, even boringly proper young man everyone thought him to be. But only to her.

Something dangerous happened, when he met the girl.

The day after he met her, he woke up thinking he was going back to his unhappy life, the life he'd settled for. He thought he'd paste on a smile, and wait for the day to end. But that day there was a quiet sigh, a crack, a fault, a tiny little place, an ache, in his heart. At first he wondered where it came from: what memory, just out of reach, explains this sadness and this loneliness. This feeling that things should have gone better, this trapped feeling that now they might never will. Just for a moment; it hardly qualified as a thought.

And then he kept on meeting Usagi, in the Crowns Arcade, in the park, on the street, at the mall. Randomly, no rhyme or reason why or when or how.

He started to realize he was saying no to every beautiful second that he was alive. After meeting Usagi, Mamoru knew this about himself: he burns. Like fire, and ice, and rage. He's like the night and the storm and the heart of the sun. That there was a war within his heart.

She reminded him of everything he'd lost and everything he feared about himself. War.

And she had the gall to ignore him when he was just worried why she was out of school this early.

* * *

"Motoki," Mamoru called out. It caused Motoki to divert his attention towards them instead of delivering to the girls their order, neatly packed inside paper bags and drink holders. Motoki started to ask Mamoru what was up, but was surprised to have Mamoru take all of the bags from him.

Or not really? He'd been listening intently at Mamoru's attempt to get Usagi to talk to him, occasionally chuckling as it became apparent Usagi wasn't going to grace the Crowns with any insults for Mamoru that day. Motoki figured his friend was getting desperate. He felt a little bad for Saori though, whose confusion was becoming too painful to watch, as she tried to get Mamoru to talk to her freely, with the poor woman digging deep to be as engaging and charming as possible. She had glanced at 'Odango' a couple of times, but saw only a fourteen year old girl whose youth made her blind to the fact someone as gorgeous as Mamoru was in the premises. Not a threat at all; she'd been more suspicious of Makoto, seeing Makoto as someone older, with a mature woman's body.

But Mamoru had eyes only for the smallest-and most sullen-member of the trio. Ignoring Makoto and Ami's profuse thanks for bringing them their order, Mamoru stopped only when he was standing right behind Usagi.

"You should be in school," he chided her, voice uncharacteristically gentle.

"I heard the first three times, Baka."

There was a pause, a heartbeat long, and then, "Did something happen?"

She shook her head, but Mamoru saw her ears turning red from where he was positioned. Frowning again, he turned to Makoto, ignoring the wide-eyed Ami and her attempts to talk over him. He didn't like it, dismissing whatever Mizuno-san was about to say, but Makoto seemed the weak link today. "She's alright?"

He almost didn't step back in time when Usagi whirled from her seat and snatched the take-away bag from his hands. "I'm fine," Usagi said, her tone suggesting he better not question her words again. "And we really need to go."

"Odango-,"

"Don't call me that. Really, I'm good, Mamoru-baka." There was a hurt tone in Usagi's voice, but she hardened her expression into something haughty looking. "Go back to your girlfriend."

Then Usagi was shouldering him out of her way, and it was up to Makoto to say a hasty goodbye to Motoki, while Ami quickly bowed an apology and to ask they forgive Usagi's behavior, she was just under a lot of stress because of this project ha-ha oh my look at the time they really did have to go, didn't they? Not a backward glance as they beat a hasty retreat.

Mamoru sat down on the stool Usagi was using, his frown getting darker when all Motoki did was sigh when Mamoru asked him what the girl's problem was.

* * *

A/N: More Mamoru in next chapter and I suck at keeping my word about updates.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Fave version of Motoki is the Live Action one, and I just wanted to put that here so no one gets confused why he is the way he is in this fic. Everything else is still 90's anime inspired.

* * *

The heart wants what the heart wants. Wasn't that how it goes? And there are signs everywhere, if one bothered to know where to look. Motoki Furuhata knew what one particular heart wants. And he could see the signs. As the heart owner's best friend, he felt it was his duty to alert him of the fact. Had been alerting him of the fact. Should maybe alert him again, in case he forgot?

Not that Mamoru ever accepted his observations before, even going so far as to call Motoki ridiculous and thinking about it too much.

Whatever.

Motoki Furuhata knew it was very intrusive, but he _relished_ how he gets to drop words of wisdom in saucy, ridiculous lines, spreading them out like _sexy_ , maybe-mildly-creepy pate on this, _brioche of comedic boredom._

 _"_ Every ball's gotta have a belle," he began.

"Don't start."

"Oh-ho! But it's already began!"

He would have said more at this point except Yasuko Kobayashi raised a hand and asked, "What-that is-why would a ball need a bell?"

They've been quiet since Usagi and her friends left, these two friends of theirs. And Motoki would have felt like a really bad host, ignoring Saori and Kobayashi, but Mamoru needed a wingman bad. True, the boy didn't get his dicktitude rolling much earlier, actually managing to get it across he was worried but Motoki felt it prudent to tell Mamoru it might have been better to call Usagi her actual name.

"I'll get back to you," he told the still frowning Mamoru, before angling his body so it was clear to Saori and Kobayashi he was now talking to them. Motoki paused sadly, grabbed a clean dishcloth, and lacking an actual dinnerware he needed to wipe dry, settled with using it to wipe his hands. He could feel Mamoru giving him the evil eye, and loved the fact Kobayashi and Saori got to see Mamoru giving it. They were staring at Mamoru like he'd turned green and sprouted scales and have a Mohawk for a haircut.

Which: _Rude_.

Wasn't he the one they just asked an explanation from?

"Not a bell, Kobayashi. A belle. Like the _belle_ of a ball. And Mamoru is the ball."

Confused looks all around. And Mamoru snorting because that's all the stupid man could do on account he was reverting back to being Chiba Mamoru, a kind and gentle university student from that ridiculously prestigious school, known for being helpful and friendly around others. It didn't fool the soda-jerk one bit.

Kobayashi looked torn. Part of him wanted more explanation, but worried of Motoki going Fun Friend who Gets Enthusiastic About Things. He's been known to monologue about his pet turle before complete with props...

It was Saori who ended up speaking next. With a shake of her head-as if to clear it from the stupid-she gave Motoki a hopeful smile. "That...was that your little sister, Motoki?"

A girl could hope.

"Usagi? Oh, no. She's a regular."

"And Mamoru knows her quite well."

Saori left that one hanging, saying it like it was a question or a sentence, take your pick. Once more Motoki felt bad for her. Saori was a sharp girl, dense only when it came to Mamoru's lack of interest towards her, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Motoki would like to just drop all the facts right then and there, but was stopped with the dilemma of explaining why a nineteen year old university student would have the hots for a fourteen year old. Mamoru could have the pick of any girl in the greater part of Tokyo, _easy_ , so it was a little insane he'd turn those midnight-blue eyes of his on a freaking middle school student. Mamoru refused to acknowledge the fact, because it's _beyond ick!_ , but then is just left with unrecognized, frustrating _feels._

It's crazy-making.

Motoki has never been so glad his girlfriend was older than he was.

"Mamoru... is the boy in the playground." He said this gently to Saori, taking a split second to give Mamoru a significant look before he did. He could see woman trying to process what he just said, but Mamoru has had enough. With a shake of his head and a disgusted look at Motoki, he stood up and left enough money to cover everyone's bill on the counter.

"I'm going. I asked Professor Komode for some interview time today. And don't listen to Motoki, please. We all know how he gets."

Saori tried to stand up, to catch up with Mamoru, but he gave her a polite nod of goodbye, effectively making her unable to voice out her desire to walk back with him to the university. He did it kindly, even respectfully, but there was no question about him walking out of the Crowns alone.

The three of them watched him leave, the doors of the arcade cafe opening and briefly letting in the noise from outside intrude their hangout. With him gone, it got immensely awkward. Motoki was racking his brain to make it all homey and easy going again, but Kobayashi had other ideas.

"Hey, you said he was the ball, but then he became the playground? And why'd he turn left? I thought he said he was going back to school."

Motoki sighed. Time to make the Crowns Parfait Special then, for poor Saori, because Saori was sharp and would have realized Usagi and her friends turned left earlier, too. Kobayashi gets nothing though, except maybe a head butt.

* * *

Walking back to the park, Makoto and Ami shared worried looks because Usagi didn't inhale her take-out food from the paper bag. Instead the blonde was walking slowly, hugging her share of the girls' order, a sad expression on her face. Clearing her throat, Makoto tried to catch her attention.

"Hey, Usagi, everything okay?"

Usagi blinked back to the present. She gave Makoto a startled look and then nodded, but the sadness lingered around her, an alien thing. Sadness didn't suit Usagi at all. Once more Makoto and Ami exchanged worried looks, so Makoto decided to be subtle like a sledgehammer in rebooting Usagi back to the Usagi they knew and loved.

"Mamoru's being hot all up in your grill back there!"

Ami flushed red, because what the heck _language_. Still, it's a fact universally acknowledged nothing would make Usagi snap out of whatever funk she was in than by claiming Mamoru Chiba to be handsome. She'd go in and argue how it was otherwise gun blazing, going zero to nuclear in half a second.

That did not happen today.

All the blonde did was wrinkle her nose delicately. "We should hurry. Mina likes her smoothie as freshly made as possible."

"Yeah, but wasn't Mamoru dreamy today?"

"I didn't really notice."

"Well, he was. That girl he was with definitely thought so. She looked like she wanted to eat him all-Ouch! Ami, what the fu-"

"Usagi's right. Let's hurry and get these stuff to the others. Maybe Luna and Artemis figured something out or could use my help." Under her breath, she told Makoto, "No more talks about Chiba-san, please. I think it just made Usagi sadder."

Glancing at Usagi, who had turned her back to them again and was walking ahead in delicate little steps, Makoto could see Ami had a point. Still, Makoto was stumped. Food didn't work like they thought it would, and now praising Mamoru was also out. She hoped Rei would be less weird about Usagi when they get back to the park because Makoto was out of ideas. Rei insulting Usagi wasn't the most fun thing to watch, but it's all they have left.

She didn't really like Usagi like this, all quiet and frail-looking. She missed her friend who could defuse bummer moments in their lives by commencing heist with breezy, conspiratorial air that felt not so much as friendship but sisterhood. Minako and Rei have their versions of it, but there's a sorta-sinister air with Minako and Rei's shenanigans that Usagi's more child-like approach lacked.

She's at a loss to this despair coming off the blonde now. When earlier all they had was worry about what happened at the school and in the park, this loneliness coming off Usagi just didn't make sense. What in the world could have caused her to be this so danged sad?

* * *

What's home? Home was a palace, in the sky, up on the moon: that was where they made their family, and that was where it fell apart. Now home is a planet they once deigned not worthy, but must now protect at all cost. And they must all do this while in desperation in the wake of a forgotten loss.

She feels it, a regret that cuts. She calls out, knowing someone out there have answers, but the voice that answers speaks in epigrams and riddles.

Gone, and broken, and shattered, and shambling at a sickening canted angle. She sees Minako-no, Sailor Venus, that who she sees-with a sword. And around her, a beautiful world going up in flames.

And then nothing again. Just more of that damned fog.

Frustrated and afraid, Rei opens her eyes.

* * *

"Hey, you," Minako greeted Rei cheerfully from where she sat opposite the priestess. On her lap was an open notebook full of doodles. Minako had been trying her hand at drawing the meditating Rei, but lacking artistic ability have ended up drawing something resembling a stick horse wearing a long, black wig. "Saw anything interesting? You look ready to puke."

Which Rei did, turning just in time so she didn't chuck her breakfast at Minako.

Luna and Artemis paused from what they were doing to watch in concern, but Minako signaled for them to go back to what they were doing, telling them it was important to have answers by the time Usagi came back. Rei doesn't see the bullheaded-look Luna gave Minako, nor Minako's challenging glare, the expression on her face forbidding. Minako gleamed impossibly brightly for a moment, warped and scary, flirtatious and inviting, daring for anyone to question her command. It caused Luna to take a step back, then resentfully go back to the computer without another word.

Artemis from his spot felt pride; she's remembering who she was, he thought.

And then what? What happens next?

What could he offer as comfort? As reason? _His_ memories were stuck. What he knew would only cause more chaos. Mercury he knew. Mars he knew. Jupiter? Yeah, her, too. And Venus...

But Sailor Moon? Artemis have his suspicions about her, but the girl didn't make confirming it easy. And if she was who he thought she was, then what? It's not the time. Will there ever be a proper time?

With a shake of his head, he nudged Luna encouragingly, hoping this would lessen the sting of Minako pulling rank at them, before helping his friend figure out more of Usagi's situation.

Minako watched the cats go back to the computer and nodding in satisfaction, went to help Rei pull her hair back. She made soothing sounds, and then stepped away when she saw her friend was finally okay. "Man, I do not envy your priestess-eye-voodoo-thingy," she commented.

Rei wasn't happy at how Minako described her ability, but she was too busy scraping some dirt to cover the mess she made. "They're not here yet?"

"I got a message from Ami they'll be here soon. They got you some butter cake and sweet tea."

"And Usagi?"

Minako shrugged. "We'll make this all right again."

Rei paused to give Minako an incredulous look. "You don't know that. You don't know what I saw, I-,"

"It doesn't matter. We fix this. For Usagi."

Rei stopped herself from bitching to Minako she didn't need to tell her that. Tensions were high and she didn't need a misunderstanding between them to get added in the mix. Still it annoyed her how the blonde was acting like she cared the most that Usagi wasn't in any danger; Minako knew the first Senshii the shortest time out of all of them.

Rei felt jittery and nervous. And yes, she also felt cowardly and confused. The vision hasn't given her an answer, just more questions: Minako, carrying a sword. Usagi, destroying a whole world. It wasn't possible. But her visions never lied to her before. And while confusing, and muddled and full of riddles, that part of the dreaming had been crystal clear. Now Rei has this terrible secret. Now Rei has to protect Usagi from what she saw.

"Hey," Minako called out to her gently. Rei looked at her friend. "We have to make this better," Minako said quietly. "I don't know why, but that's what I feel. It's not just because it's what we should do, because we're Senshii. It's-we just have to. But... I can't do it on my own, yeah? It's all of us together. Okay?"

What's left to do but sigh and nod slowly, and to return her smile?

* * *

A/N: Usagi-centric chapter coming next and one on one with Mamoru.


	5. Chapter 5

Mamoru tried not to scowl as he walked to wherever it was his feet would take him, comporting his features into the usual calm, even cold expression that usually graced his face. Motoki was wrong and it was getting old having to remind him of the fact. Him, interested in the Odango Atama? It was preposterous. So many reasons why, in fact, that it just wasn't making sense how Motoki kept insisting otherwise.

She was too young.

And he was already possibly in love with two extraordinary, important women.

Also she was too young.

What else? Frowning deeply, and then shoving his hands on either side of his jacket's pockets, Mamoru tried to remember more arguments.

Well, there was the fact he just wasn't attracted to her like that. She was pretty, there was no question about it, but _too young._

Pausing from walking, he raked his hair with his right hand in frustration as he tried to think of more. Sailor Moon and the Princess... except he'd already accounted them as reason why he couldn't possibly be having feelings for a third girl.

A third girl who was too loud, too clumsy, too lazy, too unmotivated. Not enough class, not enough grace.

There. Six in a span of a second, Mamoru thought in satisfaction. He ignored the other thoughts that crowded in his head, of honesty, and easy laughter, and the kindest, purest heart. Of gestures unconsciously done, that catches the eye because of their unstudied elegance. At fourteen, Usagi was a girl on the cusp of womanhood, the most tender and fragile of times. She's still clinging to the freedom of youth, still a child in thought and action, but already there were hints of a wide-eyed curiosity of what was to take place. Which meant give a year or two and Mamoru knew she'd be breaking hearts without meaning to.

And he'd be in his young twenties.

Which doesn't matter, he told himself as he resumed walking, because he already have a princess and Sailor Moon. He doesn't think of Odango that way _at all._

"Besides, she's not the least bit interested," Mamoru muttered to himself, doing his best not to sound resentful because he _wasn't._ Why would she? A guy who has the shadows into which he could retreat? He was Usagi Tsukino's complete opposite. And that girl was easily interested with any guy who was remotely attractive. Granted, it was always a passing crush, never lasting long enough for them to matter or pay enough attention to. Even her crush on Motoki was harmless, and sweetly endearing in its lack of sexual undertones. With Mamoru though? It would be vaguely insulting how little it seemed to register to her he was a prized example of human male specimen if he cared how she thought about him.

Which he didn't.

There were the bit about him being Tuxedo Mask. What could he offer a normal girl when he has to randomly disappear from any possible engagements because he's being compelled to transform and help Sailor Moon save Tokyo? All the while searching for a damn jewelry to appease his _literal_ dream girl. He wouldn't want something like that on someone like Usagi. She deserved a guy who would be there for her always. Someone as devoted and kind and as gentle and pure of heart who won't notice she-,

"No, not going there," Mamoru growled, shaking his head, because he refused to think too hard about Usagi's physical appearance right now. Not because he was going to be a creep about it, but it was creepy _in_ _general_ , on account she was so so very young. It just wasn't right.

Also? The few times he may have bothered to think about it, it always ended with him talking himself out of the thought Usagi, Sailormoon, and his dream princess shared the same physical characteristics. And then he'd have to think of how Usagi and Sailor Moon occasionally showed the same reaction to things, disconcerting him because the mind-fuck that followed such thoughts just wasn't worth it, as far as Mamoru was concerned. Too many times he'd had to talk himself out of the suspicion of who Sailor Moon could be when she was in her civilian form. The loudmouthed brat who insulted back and forth with him couldn't be the same girl who had to fight youma after youma almost on a weekly basis. It just didn't connect. Sailor Moon was wonderful and beautiful and dangerously powerful, and he wouldn't wish her life on Usagi.

Usagi deserved better. She was _too young_ to have to deal with the sort of shit he and Sailor Moon had to, to keep Tokyo safe.

So, no, Usagi couldn't be Sailor Moon.

And definitely he wasn't interested in her _that way_ at all.

It was frustrating that Motoki was always insisting otherwise. Sometimes his bestfriend need to remember Mamoru was not only a socially, emotionally stunted shut-in but also Doing His Best To Be An Upstanding and Proper Young Man Worthy of Being An Exemplar Japanese Ideal. There was just no way. And next time he met with Motoki, he was going to do his best to drive home the fact. Possibly it would help if he distanced himself from Usagi next time he saw her.

He quickened his pace, proving to everybody that being a self-conscious overdramatic headcase was its own reward as people moved out of his way, wary of the dark aura he was emitting. Didn't matter how ridiculously sexy a guy was; crazy shows and people knows, and Mamoru was just battling too many demons to suppress his brand of crazy for people not to notice that day.

* * *

On her way back to her other friends, Usagi Tsukino looked beautiful and tiny and blonde and _psychic_ and looked much like a grownup (and not the middle school girl Mamoru kept reminding himself she was.) Usagi for her part was doubtful of the first, resentfully resigned of the second, fully aware of the third, afraid she was losing her mind because of the fourth, and clueless about the fifth.

The voices closed in, and finally got so loud that she must stop, in the middle of the sidewalk, and breathe, to quiet them. She was aware of Makoto behind her asking yet again if anything was wrong, but Usagi waved the question away with a lopsided grin. She even, for Makoto's benefit, gave a Sailor V pose as proof she was fine, for if Usagi doesn't do at least three _very dramatic/off-kilter things_ in the middle of doing mundane things like walking back to the park while carrying take-away food, how will people remember to think she's retarded?

This wasn't a very nice thought.

Makoto, who was so loyal and brave and wonderful would never use that word to describe Usagi.

So now Usagi felt guilty, and hoping to ease that as well as stop Makoto from worrying, grabbed something inside the paper bag she was holding, saw it to be cake, and proceeded to eat it as she walked.

This was a good plan because now it's obvious she can't do small talk, and now Makoto and Ami won't try to engage her in teasing banter.

She just can't right now. She's too busy listening in on some conversation in her head.

* * *

One Day of Serenity

Chapter 4

* * *

They stared at her, uncomprehending; they see the box quite clearly, but not the girl inside.

She thought, they cared deeply, loved me completely, but they never understood.

Even now. Even when so much was changed.

* * *

In every man there is a beast, and she can hear him, speaking softly, adding a blade's edge to every kind word and a thrust to every caress.

But he saw the girl and only the girl.

Even now. Even when so much was changed.

* * *

Does she understand?

Was she afraid?

And why wouldn't she be? To know you are a monster, alone in the world, was bad. Knowing there were others like her out there - who must rein in their true selves in order to fit in - made it better. But they exist only because she didn't want to be alone. If they knew what she did, what she's done, would they love her still the way they do?

Would he?

* * *

Would he?

That whisper of a thought caused something in Usagi to focus and block out the murmurs. She gauged the depths, sounded the dark, measured the silence. It goes on forever. Finally, no more weird words floating in her head. Speaking not in one long string of sentence, but overlapping, like mismatched echoes. Gone, but for how long? Freaking out but refusing to let Makoto and Ami see because she's worried them enough, Usagi did her best to remember how to be herself so as to not arise suspicion. A great big bellow of laughter at the sight of giant balloons shaped like animals, a theatrical cringe when she thought a ball was going to smack her on the face as she walked across the grass, some whining and begging to be able to eat Rei's cake since she already finished all of her food...

She doesn't know how she knew, but she felt the shift when their worry disappeared enough that they didn't watch her anymore like a hawk.

Back to normal. Which meant now Makoto was gonna do her thing and be all nosy. And because Ami would never be nosy right back, it was Usagi-who was completely all Usagi-chan once again- she turned to for a gossip buddy.

"So, anyone ever saw that girl with Chiba before?"

Usagi had been carefully monitoring her reactions so she didn't tense at the mention of the woman this time around. Nothing against whoever she was, but it was just weird seeing her there at the Crowns.

"She's probably Motoki's girlfriend," Usagi provided, making sure to sound confident as she said this. "He described her before and she kinda fits."

"Nope," Makoto again. Usagi glanced at her friend, and watched the way Makoto's ponytail moved back and forth in a sideways movement as she walked. "She was focused on Chiba. I wasn't joking about the way she was looking at him. She-oh, come on, Ami, I wasn't going to say anything nasty!"

Usagi laughed as Ami sighed and dropped the pointed look she gave Makoto. "No way," Usagi insisted. "Girl as beautiful as that would have better taste in men."

Surprisingly it was the genius in their group, the one who tended to not involve herself too much with others' personal interaction with others, who answered Usagi this time. Her voice was a little hesitant, probably thinking of how Usagi was just a few minutes ago when Mamoru was their topic, but nevertheless her sense of fairness forced her to speak up. "Chiba-san isn't that bad. In fact, he's quite attractive, and treat women kindly." Catching Usagi's incredulous expression, she coughed a little before adding, "You're honestly the only one he seems to enjoy teasing-,"

"Annoying, Ami. No, wait, bullying!"

"- _teasing_ ," Ami, repeated, though next to her, Makoto seemed to agree more with Usagi's description, "And that's probably because you're really the only one who ever answers back."

Usagi gave an unlady-like snort. "Rei, Mina-Pi, and Mako would answer back! Only he's not a baka to them, so you know? If he'd stop being a jerk-"

"He kinda did today," Makoto pointed out.

Well.

Honestly, how was Usagi to volley back an answer to that?

Oh, wait! "He called me Odango and he knows I hate that!"

Judging from the expression on her friends' faces, she knew they thought this was a weak argument and Usagi felt chagrined. "And I bet the only reason he was being nice was because he was trying to impress her." There! Even Ami looked like she was giving that possibility some merit, if the way her brows knitted in thought soon as Usagi said the words was a clue. Feeling triumphant because _of course_ that was the only reason stupid Mamoru sounded concerned when he asked about her not being in school, she added heatedly, "He's not nice. You guys keep saying he is, but he's not. Watch, I won't answer back next time, and you'll see."

Even better if that woman was around, so she can see for herself Mamoru-Baka in action. Usagi felt a little shame-faced at hoping for this, but rationalized she was doing the girl some public service. The guilty feeling was piling up inside Usagi that she was feeling a little blue again, because she didn't like to think of herself as someone capable of thinking bad thoughts like this. But, oh, imagine falling for someone so nasty! The thought bothered her so much that her chest hurt, because she had trouble breathing because she was also so very _angry_. Seriously, who did Mamoru thought he was? That poor girl...

Or woman. Makoto was right to call her woman. Beautiful with long, dark hair, and her face carefully applied with makeup to highlight every delicate feature, she really had been eye-catching. Even though she'd only glanced at her when Usagi was giving Mamoru a glare, she'd caught enough to think, 'Wow'. No wonder the Baka didn't pay attention to Rei, if there were women like that around him.

Usagi wondered how many there were who were fooled by his looks. She wondered if they were as beautiful as the woman in the arcade, or even more so. She hoped he wouldn't make a habit of bringing them to the Crowns. It was true just now she wished that the woman would see Mamoru being less than perfect when he and Usagi started their bickering, but it'd be awkward to do it all the time with other women. It's just so arrrrrgh! Usagi can't remember anyone who made her react the way he did, except maybe Shingoo and Rei.

And there was no way her feelings for the Baka were sibling-like, in any shape or form.

"Makoto?"

"Huh?"

"You think that's Baka's type?"

"Who, her?" Makoto raised a brow at her, and Usagi busied herself to looking for other food to eat. She's so worked up about talking about Mamoru that her heart was now beating crazy fast. And it hurt, right now. "Nah. He wasn't really paying her any attention."

"Oh," Usagi said, and quickly stuffed a sticky bun in her mouth. The food was so good, it calmed her agitation instantly, easing the tightening in her chest.

* * *

When they got back to the others, only the orders of sweet tea were left. But all four took one look at Usagi, and whatever reprimand they had for the blonde was forgotten. They had Usagi back, and a quick scan of the computer showed this observation to be the truth. No more weird energy signals coming off the leader, or that weird veil of shimmering light that Rei could see even without using her Dreaming Eye. Luna cuddled with Usagi briefly, overjoyed things seemed to have gone back to normal, but Artemis called her and muttered how they should keep on figuring out what happened. So the cats left, with Luna telling Usagi she will be back before nighttime.

As for the girls, with Usagi having eaten the food, Rei pleaded to be taken to some ramen shop or even a convenience store. It was clear she was about to pass out from not having any nourishment in her system. It didn't help that her 'priestess-eye-voodoo-thingy' took a lot from the girl. Feeling guilty, Usagi asked Minako to come with her to find some ice cream vendor or a takoyaki cart, while Makoto and Ami took Rei to the nearest restaurant.

"This way you'll have something to eat while we wait for the food to cook," Usagi explained.

Rei grinned at her weakly. "Sometimes you do use that head of yours."

Usagi was sheepish. "Sorry I ate everything."

"And that's why it's your treat today."

Usagi's allowance was pretty much gone, but she reasoned if it was just snacks then it wouldn't cost that much, would it? So she gave Rei a firm nod and grabbing Minako, went off to find the closest food stall. The faster they get some fast food, the faster they can catch up with their friends.

* * *

Minako felt it was fate that she was the one who ended up with Usagi that time. After all she was the Senshii of Love. Had it been any of the other girls, chances were the day would have ended a lot differently. Certainly Usagi and Mamoru wouldn't have found their wrist chained together by the Love Me Chain, on account none of the other Senshii have such items at their disposal.

.

.

.

* * *

Long Author's Note is long. *flails around a bit*

Man, I need a fanfiction friend right now. Getting my first bout of worry about how different this rewrite is from the original after a reader's review of this chapter. Don't get me wrong, the premise is exactly the same. Serenity 'wakes up' for (one day) after Usagi's near death bout, and some secrets (and plot twists) are revealed that isn't in the anime, manga, or even the live version. Some parts of this story follow the original, in the sense that people around them noticed something was different about Usagi; some power surge and upgrade on account it's Usagi awakening her princess/crystal power; Mamoru needing to open his eyes about the three women in his life.

But the way it all unfolds? Very different from the first story. For one, this has a faster pace, because the story needs to happen under a time frame of one day. Reading the first version, I felt I dragged the narration and put too many stuff in it (My newbie mistakes). I took a lot of unnecessary parts out this time around, to focus the story, grounding it to my plot. Then of course there is Minako. She's a game changer, and her inclusion in this rewrite instantly changes how the girls' reaction and perception of events.

But the two most important thing is I've changed from how I view how people would act in the story would be like, and my writing style. One Day was my first story, and you can see all the 'fanfiction trademarks' in the narrative. The overusing of Japanese words, the caricature-like interaction between the characters, fanfiction headcanons... they are all there. I don't regret adding them in way back, but now I have a more restrained approach about what to add in this version of the story.

I also very clearly changed the writing voice. There's a lot less description of their appearance and how they are walking or their movements, cutting out dialogue and thoughts and focused a lot on instroperspection. I don't know if this made the story 'better', because what matters is this is how I can write this story, right now. I can't go back to add to the original because I can't find the tone anymore, whereas this version, it's so easy to write it this way.

And I guess I'm feeling a little insecure that maybe this story isn't as engaging as the first, because of all the changes. And I would like to apologize to old readers who may be disappointed by the differences between the two stories. Still I'm keeping my fingers crossed this version will be good enough to make up for the fact I can't update the original. : )


	6. Chapter 6

She stood as if trained in a lifetime of subtleties. Minako noted the relaxed stance, but unconsciously balanced. She felt the pull of desire to acknowledge the girl before her as if this other was a master... or a queen.

Minako shook her head to clear it of such thoughts, and Usagi, caught in the act of paying for the takoyaki balls she just ordered, looked at her curiously. "Whatzit?"

"Just being silly," Minako explained. "I think you maxed out your allowance for these."

The other blonde glanced down at the food she was carrying and didn't bother to look apologetic of the fact Minako was right. Instead they both shared impish grins and Usagi motioned for Minako to open her mouth so she could feed her a treat before feeding herself.

Minako, watching her, carefully noted she was just Usagi again. Plain Usagi, awkwardly holding the carton of food, as she tried to count how many of the fried dumplings she could eat and not leave Rei lacking. A terrible feeling of rebellion erupted in her, a fury that came because Usagi... Usagi should not change.

Change into what?

Into who?

"Mina-Pi? Where'd you go?"

Minako startled and found fathomless blue eyes peering at her. Her friend was chewing more takoyaki while she stared into Minako's eyes, waiting patiently for an answer why her red-bowed friend was woolgathering just a few seconds ago.

"You keep eating that way, there won't be enough for Rei to eat," she said instead in lieu of an answer to Usagi's question. Her tone had gentled, so the other didn't feel like she was being admonished. But when she spoke again, the gentleness in her voice gave way to a certainty that echoed the authority of her walk as she stepped away from her friend to order more fast food. "You stay here while I get some more. Or better yet, you go sit down that bench over there, m'kay? Looks like the line got long."

She gave the shorter girl a careless grin, and was rewarded with a giggling Usagi giving her a thumbs up even as she ate one more of Rei's supposed treat. Minako knew she won't eat the ones she reserved _truly for Rei,_ but it was so good to see her appetite back to normal that she didn't mind spending so that there wouldn't be any need for holding back gluttony.

* * *

On the bench, Usagi gave a happy sigh. She's never been spoiled the way she was being spoiled now, and it was so _nice._ She would even count this day under all time high, except for that encounter with Mamoru-baka at the arcade. Making a face at the memory, Usagi glanced regretfully at what's left of the food she bought earlier, and with a martyred air, set aside what remained to bring to the other girls. She hoped Minako would come soon with more to eat.

With nothing left to do, she ended with watching the kids playing in the playground, a good few meters away from her. It looked so fun, specially the swing. Maybe she could play instead of just waiting here? Mina wouldn't mind, she thought. In fact, had it not been for the fact they had to get back to the others, Minako might be even tempted to join Usagi in playing.

Feeling her spirits lifting, she made the move to go up and take the necessary steps to take her to the playground. Glancing to where the food carts were, hoping to catch Minako's attention to indicate where she was about to go, she halted from moving when she found herself staring at Mamoru instead. The young man hadn't seen her yet, not with his head bowed down the way it was. Usagi felt her gaze narrowing as she noted this fact. No wonder I always ended up bumping with him, she thought grouchily. She always gets blamed for those run-ins, but if he walked that way, not looking where he was going, then he should be as much to blame.

Well, now what? Should she not do anything to alert him she was there?

And where was that woman he was with earlier?

She must have left him, she thought smugly. Girl as pretty and as smart looking as that would have wizened up quick how she could level up better than Mamoru. Stupid Baka bringing his date in a freaking arcade anyway. Who does that?! He was always so Mr. Suave and Mr. Sophisticated, and he bring his date to where again? If _she_ was Mamoru's date, she'd expect at least a boat ride in the lake in the park. Or the greenhouse found near the boardwalk area of their city. Or the aquarium downtown.

There were a lot of places Mamoru could take her out for a date, now that she thought about it.

And maybe the Crown's wasn't _that_ bad a place to hang out with a boyfriend, maybe. She can see herself with Mamoru there, if she actually gave it some proper thought. Sharing a milkshake and just catching up with each other's day, while she made fun of his coffee and she gets chided for eating her sundae too fast. Other girls sighing as they watched them because how could they not?! And Mamoru oh-so-subtly doing all those little things that marked Usagi as his girlfriend. Pushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear, briefly touching her hand before moving his away to a more proper distance...

So it wasn't the place then, just the company, she decided. Which made sense, since it was _him._ Who would want a date with him, after all.

Curiosity was a terrible thing.

"Baka! What happened to your girl!"

* * *

Special project my ass, he thought. He wasn't always so uncharitable with his thoughts, despite what a certain blonde _kid_ would insists, but it was not fun to find one's self the subject of interest after being shouted such a question in such a public setting. Moms and guardians of the children playing nearby looked up from their daily gossiping to now watch him curiously after making sure it was him to whom the question had been directed.

What girl?, their eyes seemed to ask as they followed his movement. What'd he do to her then?

Nodding to them as politely as possible to assure them whatever evil they were thinking he committed couldn't be further from the truth, he made his way to the expectant blonde sitting alone on her bench.

"What _girl?_ "

Usagi had the gall to be frowning right back at him. "The one in the arcade! Why isn't she with you?"

Saori? Was she talking about Saori? "Why would she be with me?" Mamoru couldn't help sounding confused, and even Usagi picked up on it. Suddenly the fierce look of determination in Usagi's eyes gave way to uncertainty. Mamoru waited for the girl to answer, but she was slow to give one. "Odango, next time, be mindful how you speak, alright?"

He was still very aware of the speculative looks he was getting from the older women around them, and felt very shy enough to sit down next to Usagi, to give them time to get boredof him before he walked away. Usagi didn't realize this was what he meant when he said what he said, and instead accepted it was just one of his usual insults.

"Makoto said you two were going out!" was her flustered response. "And I said noooooooooo, but she said so and Ami said you were nice but you're a jerk so-"

Too loud, he thought, panicking because instead of people getting bored of him, Usagi's high pitched whines were just drawing more attention. "Odango," he snapped. Tension sprang in Usagi, making her sit upright, but one look at Mamou's stricken face had her retreating from her next attack. She paused, tight-lipped and resentful, unsure now if she was in the right or was wrong after all.

Silence now between them, stretching uncomfortably enough that Usagi started to fidget.

He should go. Didn't he promise himself he would stay away from her? So he started to get up, to walk away, but then Usagi spoke up again.

"So it wasn't a date?"

"Of course not. Saori is a friend from school. If anything, it's Kobayashi who wants to date her, not me."

"Oh. See, I told Makoto she could be Motoki-ni-chan's girlfriend, but Makoto thought she was into you."

"Saori?" Mamoru shook his head. "No, there's no way. I'm telling you right now, it's Kobayashi who likes her. Is that why you were angry back there? Because you thought she was Motoki's girlfriend?"

There was a pause. Chancing a look at Usagi, he noted she was flushed red and was once more fidgeting from where she was sitting. The girl seemed to start to answer but falter before a word was spoken, as if she couldn't quite verbalize what her answer was. It occurred to Mamoru this could be the most civilized exchange he's ever had with Usagi, and something niggled at the back of his mind in regards to it. However he decided not to pursue why this exchange bothered him in favour of waiting for an answer from the blonde.

He wasn't the only one waiting. Minako, standing behind them and eating takoyaki silently as she listened in shamelessly on their conversation, was now tired of waiting for Usagi to fess up why she'd been angry. "Usa-chan, you were mad because you thought she was Motoki's girlfriend?"

Usagi jumped up from the seat, hands to her heart in exaggerated show of surprise, and demanded how long Minako had been standing behind them. Sputtering how that was so rude, and why was she eating all of the snacks, she didn't catch the shared moment between Minako and Mamoru. It occurred to both that Usagi's rambling nowhere near answered the question.

"Who is Saori?" she finally asked Mamoru, cutting Usagi from her tirade. "Clue me in why she's so important."

"She's not," Mamoru insisted, getting frustrated about how many time he had to explain this.

Before them, Usagi stilled. Mamoru frowned at her, because he thought she looked now to be relieved. "Oh," said Usagi in a soft whisper. Her small, delicate hands were still over her heart.

"She's a friend," Mamoru added.

The three of them stayed where they were for a few more seconds. Minako's gaze came back to him, openly, while he was watching Usagi watching her feet shuffled the grass underneath her. When Minako spoke, her voice was thoughtful and remote. "So, wait. Usa-chan was jealous of her, but Makoto said she was into you, not Motoki, and Usagi was mad about that and—"

What.

 _What._

Usagi was stomping her feet now and loudly shouting how that wasn't right at all. She wasn't the least bit jealous. What. The. Hell. And it was because Mamoru-Baka never _ever_ brought girls in the arcade so that was just weird, yeah? _A_ nd why would be bring a girl there anyway, just so not cool, because a proper date was the lake or the aquarium, that's where she'd like Mamoru to take her if they were dating, but they're not, and he certainly isn't dating S-S-Saori—yes, Mina, I know her name, what do you—oh, geez, didn't he say she's just a friend?! You need to listen, Mina-and they had to go now because Rei was gonna die. And Saori wasn't important, Mamoru said. She was just a friend. And Usagi wasn't jealous of her, _not even when she thought she was Motoki's girlfriend._ Minako got it all wrong and Makoto and Ami can explain better so they really, really, really had to go because poor Rei-chan. Seriously, Mamoru needs to find a proper girlfriend soon, bad enough when Rei got hurt and now poor Saori! And all because Mamoru-Baka can't find the right girl. She even managed to glare and give Mamoru a raspberry in between her ranting.

Only Minako had the courage to answer back. Mamoru simply let himself revel the fact people have stopped paying attention to him because all their interest were now focused on Usagi still shouting nonsense and Minako patiently nodding her head every now and then. The smaller girl was dragging the other girl away arms flailing excitedly as she tried to explain how Minako got it all wrong.

Watching them, he couldn't help smirking at her antics.

He refused to look deep why it mattered to him that she left agitated, _but happy._ How he knew, he could not explain, but it was just one of those brief flashes of insight he had of people's feelings. All that mattered was that he knew she wasn't angry and hurt anymore. The dark cloud that had followed him from the arcade was now gone, and he sat back to enjoy the mid-morning sun.

* * *

What should have happened next: the two girls meet up with their friends, with Rei berating them over how little of her takoyaki were left. Mamoru would stay sitting on that park bench for a bit longer, before starting for his apartment so he could study for tomorrow's classes.

* * *

What happened instead: Far away that Mamoru could still see them but just barely, a youma bearing the ridiculous characteristics of a lamppost appeared before the girls. Its streetlight bulbs for eyes flashed eerily red before it sent a blast of white-hot electricity towards the stricken-dumb Usagi. There was just enough time for Minako to push her friend away from the blast before looking for a place to power-up.

* * *

Chapter 6

"Freaking youma," Minako muttered. She had to find a place to transform fast, but the open ground they were in didn't leave a lot of options. Even the copse of trees to her right was no good, as several people ran towards it to hide. She hoped Usagi was alright. It was worrying how Usagi just went cold at the sight of the enemy. Not in the typical Usagi fashion either, but simply stood there to be blasted. Looking around, thanking whoever it was watching them when she saw Usagi wasn't anywhere near the youma, she took her communicator out to tell the others they were needed. She barely managed to tell their location when Usagi's voice beeped in and wailed, "I can't senshii!"

Oh, gods.

"What did she say?" That was Makoto now on the line, sounding very upset.

"She can't transform." Ami this time, doing her best to sound crisp and professional and not the least bit hysterical. "We can't come. A general is here, holding the people in the restaurant hostage. Mina, we have to go, we can't keep the line open."

"Ami, I can't senshi!"

"For fuck's sak-", that was Rei, Minako thought grimly. She watched Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury's sigil blink out from the communicator's open line, sending them a prayer as she did. A Dark Kingdom general with just three of them, and Rei being weakened as she was, they were going to need it. Of course she was going to need it too, she thought.

"Usagi, stay where you are," she ordered harshly at her leader through the communicator. "Just hide until you can transform. And call the cats."

No time to say more, not when the youma had just cornered a couple hiding behind some bushes. Mina spotted the public pool now devoid of swimmers, and figured underwater was the way to go. With the couple screaming in terror now, no one would pay attention to her while she slipped down into the water, pen already out. And when her transformation made a lightshow on the surface of the pool, causing the youma to stop whatever attack it was about to do on its intended victims, well, that was just added bonus to the pretty.

When she emerged from the water, seemingly to ride the foam that erupted from the deep, Minako already had her Love-Me-Chain out, expecting the youma to be waiting for her. Monster and Warrior of Venus stared hard at each other for a heartbeat, before an evil grin made the grotesque appearance of the youma even more so. Minako just had enough time to think "Oh, crap," before the creature sent a blast of electricity towards the water.

* * *

Mamoru watched a pillar of lightning coming _from the ground_ erupt upwards, quickly figuring out the youma was close to the public pool. He paused, holding his head in agony as he tried to push back the emotions bombarding him from everywhere. Terror was the strongest, followed closely by despair. Panic, too. All understandable, considering the situation. But they weren't his, though they echoed what he was feeling. It was the feeling of everyone around him, as they try to flee from the scene of the attack. They each remained distinct and separate and unbelievably—he thought with surprise—that if he bothered, he could pinpoint where each feeling came from. Everyone but Usagi.

She would be around this area, having watched her run in this direction from where he'd been sitting. He hit the ground running, hoping to get her somewhere safe, but Usagi had disappeared from somewhere deep in the woods. Away from the attack, he thought gratefully. He will just make sure she was fine, and then he'd run to where the youma was. But under the cover of the trees, the branches disorienting distance and space, he despaired finding her.

When a pressure grew in his chest until it threatened to choke him, he thought at first that it was his feeling, and not someone else's. It was rage, white hot and encompassing. It flooded all through him, hiding everything else in its power. He spun, staggered, and would have fallen—but he was caught and held upright. It was Usagi who was holding him. Reeling from the pain the rage that engulfed him earlier had left him, he thought hazily how her blue eyes seemed shot with flecks of silver. He was so sure she was farther away from him just seconds ago, deep in hiding, but she was here now besides him, holding him up. And she was not as small as he thought her to be.

"We must go," he heard her say. She spoke softer than usual, but the tugging on his arms were urgent, pulling him away from where the fight was. She glanced were the pillar of lightning was still going strong and-

 _She blurred in his arms._

* * *

This was the nightmare, the _then_.

The part of it she remembers first, when the dreaming fails her.

The heavy _thud_ of footsteps echoing down a length of cold, white corridor; the taste of tears and blood in her mouth; the skin-crawling sound of baying in the night, howls which could have not have come from anything else but the monsters the witch released in her precious kingdom. The man looming over her with his harsh face partly wreathed in shadow, the stink of his mouth as he pressed a kiss, biting her tongue again when she tried to cry out. And Venus shouting in rage, sword held to strike as she crashed into the room where she'd been kept prisoner. Run, her Guardian screamed, as the clang of metal hit metal.

But where? One glance at the now open door showed her castle engulfed in flames and ruin.

Large hands made to grab at her, and Venus pushed her away. Run, she screamed again.

So she did.

And then there was the _now_.

* * *

"Usagi!"

Emptiness and desolation was filling him and he longed for the cold misery of sleep. But Usagi needed to be kept safe, and more importantly, Mamoru knew now where the alien emotions were coming from. He had always been aware of his isolation and vulnerability, but what he'd always felt was no match from what was coming from Usagi now. Shaking her hard, he called out her name again and was rewarded when the girl finally focused her eyes, looking at him with abrupt astonishment and gratitude.

"Baka," she murmured. She looked again where fight was going strong. "She's out there," she whispered.

"The youma," Mamoru corrected. And Sailor Moon, he added to himself. Part of him needed to be at the fight where Sailor Moon was likely in need of his help, but he couldn't let Usagi out of his sight, not the way she was now. Besides, judging from the fierceness of the blasts, there were other senshi there to help her. Though he felt guilty, he knew Sailor Moon would understand his desire to protect civilians from attacks from the Dark Kingdom. Looking deep in her eyes, he made ready to tell her they had to get away, but he saw emotion on her face he wasn't expecting. Anger. Calm.

And her eyes were crystal blue again, without the shimmer of silver in them.

"I have to help her," she said. He barely had time to process what she meant when Usagi broke free of his hold and started to run.


	7. Chapter 7

Usagi wasn't sure which was scarier; running towards a Dark Kingdom youma in her civilian form or running away from a pissed off Mamoru who was hell bent on catching her. She chanced a look over her shoulder to see how far away she was from him, and ended up screaming in surprise to find he was almost an arm's length away from making a grab at her. The heck was he looking like he was going to murder her for?, she thought. It's her neck she's gonna end up breaking here, trying to save Minako, not his.

"Stop running after me!" she shouted even as she redoubled her effort to put more distance between them. She heard Mamoru swear under his breath, and it sounded so wrong hearing him use those words she almost felt compelled to stop and berate him for it. Mamoru Chiba, Mr. Potty Mouth. Who knew?

Gotta run gotta run gotta run, she chanted to herself, refusing to acknowledge the heavy footfalls behind her. A scream of pain from up ahead had her faltering, her eyes watering in panic and terror because she knew whose voice it belonged to. Fisting her hand around her broach, she started off again. Up ahead, the sky looked ruined, damaged in ways too peculiar to explain. Everything was shadowy against the burnt sky. She hated it, the lightning and the accompanying thunder. She hated the blinding flash, how the trees shook with each blast.

The woods felt like it was closing in on either side of her.

"Usagi, stop! Let the Senshii do it," Mamoru cried hoarsely. He sounded out of breath, which made sense, because he was doing his best to catch up with her. "Aino isn't going to be where the fight is."

This time Usagi didn't bother to glance back, instead just running faster. She willed power into her broach, but felt nothing coming from it. Tears of frustration now, because Minako's screams were getting fainter. If she can't transform, how was she going to help her friend? Then the images rose and fell inside her, waking dreams seemingly disconnected, but she could feel them forming back there, gathering up into a voice. From inside her there was a snap like something breaking.

There's a twinge, a phantom pain, in her chest.

 _Let him protect you. He will know what to do. There is nothing that can be done, by your will or mine._

No, she thought.

Usagi's expression hardened and she looked determined instead of just scared. She's the Senshii of the Moon, transformed or not. "Shut up," she whispered harshly.

She willed the feeling of dread, terror, and confusion away, along with the blankness like fog trying to overcome everything else, making her feel like she was about to flicker out, fading, like mist when dawn breaks. Getting nearer where the fight was, ignoring Mamoru's last effort to beg her to stop, she ripped her broach off her school ribbon and with a cry broke through the thicket of bushes. There she saw a struggling Sailor Venus as she clawed at the monster's hands where it was wrapped around her neck, the Love Me Chain forgotten on the ground next to her. Usagi shouted hoarsely something unintelligible, and chunked her broach at the monster. She wasn't sure what she was hoping would happen, just that _it could work_ _somehow she was sure of it,_ but it falling uselessly next to Sailor Venus' whip wasn't one of them.

The heck was that? Seriously? Nothing at all?!

"Goddamnit, Usagi," she heard from behind her before she was yanked forcefully and told to run. She was about to resist, about to say they have to help Minako, but a glance back showed the youma dropping the senshii to the ground and now moving towards her and Mamoru. Well, fudge. Why'd her feet stop moving?

 _Fight._

Not that voice from before, the one that spoke in a strange language, no, but a thought all the same. It resonated deep within her, as an order she must obey. A compulsion.

She knew this was the part she was supposed to hold herself together, without collapsing in on herself, but her body refused to listen, frozen in terror yet again. She hated it, these in-between moments of flight or fight that seemed to happen more and more. In the heartbeat it took for the moment to transpire, she felt like a ghost, like a memory of herself, a nightmare she can't wake up from trapped inside someone else's skin...

She didn't used to be like this. Back when she fought alone, she remembered being scared but still willing to keep fighting. Not like this, this sudden seizure to stop _being_ ; a kind of death.

 _Fight._

 _She has to..._

"Usagi!" Mamoru hissed, tugging her backwards and causing the blonde to fall down in a heap. Usagi felt him wrap his arms around her and haul her back to the bushes. His hold of her was so tight, it actually hurt to breathe.

"Baka! Go, just go! It's not safe!" Her voice, her shaking voice that she tried to keep steady because she had to convince him to get the hell away from all this. To convince him it was okay to leave it all to her to handle. Fat freaking chance, but a girl can dream.

"Shut up," he answered back. "Be quiet." He peered from the opening of the leaves and shook his head to see the youma coming closer to where they were. "You stay here," he instructed her, before leaping up to catch the monster's attention and running away from where Usagi was crouched down.

Usagi wanted to scream for him to come back, but felt herself recoil at the sight of the youma making a mad dash towards Mamoru. Part of her wanted to run to help, but considering how shaky her legs still felt, she didn't think that wise. Instead she waited a few seconds before wriggling out of her hiding spot and went to where Minako lay in a crumpled heap, trying to shake her friend awake. Burn marks and scalded skin covered a good portion of her friend, and Usagi hated how her voice trembled as she urged Minako to wake up.

"Oh, please," nearly a whisper, "Oh,please," like a sigh, like breathing a prayer.

This was her fault. If she could have transformed, she could have helped fight. She glanced resentfully at her broach, and noticed for the first time that the Love Me Chain had yet to dematerialize into wherever Minako store it when she wasn't using it. Hesitantly, Usagi reached out and took it from where it lay, her breath hitching in terror at what might happen. But when all she felt was it pulsing energy as her hand tightened on it, she calmed down a little. Inspecting it, she marvelled at the fact it seemed to be made of solidified light. Grabbing her broach next, she looked to where Mamoru had run off to. Making up her mind, she quickly pulled Minako to the bushes, wincing for her friend's new scratches and wounds because there was no delicate way to get around to hiding her from view of others.

Stop being so scared, she told herself. She could feel the voice forming again, but she squashed whatever it was going to say by shouting as loud as she could as she ran once more to where a new fight was taking place. She doesn't need anyone or anything telling her what to do. Usagi _knows_ what she has to do.

* * *

Desperation didn't come often to Mamoru, but he felt it now. He tried to pull out his rose from thin air while he ran, only to come up empty, his fingers curling into a fist when no transformation took place.

When he saw the youma was holding a senshii by the neck, all he saw was gold hair and everything went dark and cold for a moment, almost stopped his fucking heart, until he realized she wasn't Sailor Moon. It made focusing on helping Usagi escape easier, made making sure she was _the priority_ the only choice. But how to do that when he couldn't transform?

Behind him the youma rasped about his doom, and Mamoru decided it didn't matter. He reminded himself whatever happens, she was out there, and she will come, he—they-could fight this _and win_. It helped pump him up for the fight, a fight that surely ends in death.

Rounding a bend in the path, Mamoru quickly scanned his surrounding, doing quick calculations if it was ideal to stop here and confront the monster. It'll be fine, he told himself again. She'll come. He's not going to go at it alone. One of her senshii was already here; she wouldn't be far behind.

His faith in Sailor Moon was absolute, no matter how often her teammates berated her for her lack of fighting skills. He was there from the start and saw what she was capable of on her own. Together, even without the others? There's no way they would lose. They've done it before. He'll provide what distraction she needed, because really, that was all that really mattered. As for transforming into Tuxedo Mask? It'll happen when she happens. It's inevitable.

The monster stopped when it saw his prey now standing still, silent, patiently waiting. It snorted its disbelief and wrestled with the desire for the young man to explain himself. But it couldn't form the words, instead rasping some useless bit over and over again, adding to its mounting frustration. So the youma gets ready to fire a blast of electricity.

Mamoru tensed, grateful for the ground around him being dry. He could see the spikes of electricity coming from the youma's skin, the smoky haze that surrounded it as it builds up its attack. He was so focused on readying himself, Mamoru doesn't notice the golden mist that rose from the ground and started to surround him. When the hit came, Mamoru had been ready to run to his right, hide behind some trees, wash and repeat. But midway its intended target, the fork of lightning met the mist and slowly got diffused into nothing.

Well, not quite nothing. Mamoru felt the static energy around him now, making the hairs on his arm stand up, his skin tingle. It was uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt. The youma was enraged and sent another blast, and once more it couldn't reach Mamoru. Still, Mamoru felt the air around him becoming more charged, and knew it would only be a matter of time before whatever barrier was protecting him from getting hit would prove useless.

He wondered if it was Mercury who did this, and silently prayed for Sailor Moon to come and dust the youma already. "That all you got?", he taunted, causing the enemy to scream in fury.

Mamoru waited for the twirling tiara to come.

Kept waiting for it.

It was only when the monster started to take steps to get closer, realizing it had to be a physical fight, that Mamoru realized his waiting might be in vain. He felt his blood start to run hot, that trace-energy rushing down his forearms, to his wrists, to his hands… and he thought he could kill on his own. He could destroy it down to nothing...

Get rid of it, _now, right now,_ because something has happened to Sailor Moon, something bad, it's the only explanation why she still hasn't come to save the day. She was hurt and that's why he hasn't transformed yet into a fucking joke of a super hero wearing a goddamned tuxe—

"Get away from him!"

Stupidly, he thought, Sailor Moon, about time.

It took him a second to realize he said it out loud. Just about the same time when he realized it wasn't her, but someone else. Someone he thought was safely tucked behind some bushes, hair tangled in branches and leaves, waiting for the crisis to pass so she can come out and wail her way back home.

Fucking Usagi. And what the hell was that she was waving around like a goddamn lunatic?

Jesus, God, he can't take all of these things thrown at him, this bombardment of a million different things to feel when he has yet to drink his second mid-morning joe.

* * *

A whip wasn't really that good a weapon, now that Usagi was the one wielding it. First it flopped about from side to side in useless arcs, and then would morph into something that was actually pretty intimidating and scary, especially when she accidentally ended up hitting herself. It stung, and caused Usagi to yelp in hurt and surprise. The only reason the youma hadn't attack was it was confused at what it was supposed to be looking at. In fact, it had the patented what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-her look youmas usually reserved for when Sailor Moon drops in on them. She sympathized; she knew her game right now was a little confusing.

Panicking, she sent Mamoru a look the equivalent of an S.O.S.

She thought he glared at her first before picking up a good sized stone and hit the youma hard on its shoulder, causing it to hiss and turn.

Okay, now what? They can't keep doing this, distracting the youma from each other. Eventually it would strike and when it does, they would be lucky to have bodies left for their family to bury. The ground around them was littered with charred remains of plants and small trees exploded from within by electricity. They're not going to be pretty corpses at all.

The youma was looking back and forth between Mamoru and her, seeming to wonder who would be the easier target. Usagi was now wildly whipping her borrowed weapon about, and even though she was the one who was getting stung and whipped, she put more energy to it, since it looked like it was doing a good enough job scaring the monster from coming closer.

Which meant Mamoru was the only real choice to attack, but the youma seemed uncertain of that as well.

Which: What.

What's she missing here? Not that she wasn't grateful Mamoru looked relatively safe, but seriously, why wasn't the youma attacking him?

"Crescent Beam!"

There's just enough time to feel giddy relief at the sound of Minako's voice before the whip was grabbed out of her hand, and Usagi shoved behind a tree. It was getting so tiring, being dragged and pushed to hide behind foliage all the time. She was just making her mind if she stays hidden or takes a look at the fight when Minako appeared again, grim of face and nowhere near looking the Love and Beauty Goddess she proclaimed herself to be. Her home girl looked just like when Usagi left her earlier, all electrocuted and starting to blister, but now she had twigs and whatnots sticking out of her frizzled hair.

Minako grabbed at Usagi's wrist and pulled her away, ordering her to run fast. The whip was nowhere in sight.

She wanted to ask about Mamoru, but Usagi knew she was in trouble with the painful way Minako was holding her. Behind her, the howls of rage made her skin crawl, its snarls and grunts indicative of it trying to get itself free. They were on borrowed time and had to get away quickly.

* * *

"There are too many trees in this park," she muttered.

Minako glared at her for an answer, shoving Usagi deeper into another copse of trees, teeth fairly grinding in not even bothering to be concealed anger. "I told you to stay put!"

"Yes, you're very welcome! I mean, it wasn't like I saved you or anything," Usagi snapped back.

The Senshii laughed humorlessly, shook her head to show she cannot fucking believe this, and Usagi felt shamed enough to tentatively reach out a hand. When Minako pushed it away, she felt her lower lip tremble. "I just wanted to help-,"

"You're lucky it didn't attack you! What were you thinking, Us-"

Both girls heard it, despite the person doing his best to walk as softly as possible. Minako goes rigid next to her, eyes narrowing dangerously. She had one arm extended to the side, effectively blocking Usagi from whatever it was that was coming from the cover of the trees. Her bruised and wounded hand was shaking. She does her best to stop it, but she can't, she can't quite...

Usagi put a hand on Minako's shoulder and the trembling stilled at the contact. She's safe, Minako thought, she's right behind me and safe.

When Mamoru appeared in their line of vision, looking frazzled but otherwise fine, Minako was too surprised to stop Usagi from rushing forward to grab his hand. But he has eyes for the senshii, glaring and even suspicious.

"Where's Sailor Moon?", he asked.

Next to him, Usagi blinked stupidly.

Minako may have done the same, but that wasn't what she would tell the girls she did later. Certainly she wouldn't admit to standing there in confusion and going, "Huh?"

"She's usually here by now, but she's not. Is she... she's not hurt, is she?"

"Uhm..."

Frustrated at her answer, Mamoru ran his fingers through his hair, and both girls zeroed in on the fact his hand was shaking. "Look, take care of Usagi for me."

And that would have been that, with Minako gaping at him as he walked away, but Usagi was still holding his other hand and now refused to let him go. "Whoa whoa whoa! Where you going, huh?! There's still a youma there!"

"Let go, Usagi."

He sounded dangerous just now. It made Minako pause from her stupid, to be able to appreciate how sexy that delivery of his sounded. Usagi didn't notice it though, seeing as she was too busy going bug-eyed angry at the stubborn man in front of her.

"Are you crazy?", she hissed at him. Two hands now were holding him by the wrist, both growing white with how tightly she was holding on to him. "You. Can't. Go."

"Usagi—" but he broke off, not knowing how to explain. He looked at Minako, clearly hoping she'd be the voice of reason and get Usagi off him, but the girl who had him hostaged saw the look and she turned to Minako as well.

"He's insane! You can't let him leave!"

And that was that. Honestly, even without Usagi telling her, there was no way she was going to let a civilian out there, at the mercy of a Dark Kingdom monster. But her leader looked fit to kill if she didn't get her way right now. "She's right. You can't go."

Mamoru glared at her. Usagi glared at Mamoru. And Minako? Minako tried not to think how great a cool bath would be right about now. She watched them, and noted Mamoru's distress. He's about to do something, she thought grimly, noting the tensing of his body. He's gonna try to shake Usagi off. And when he does, Usagi was going to go after him, no matter how that would be the worst idea ever. She can't understand why they don't see what they wanted will suck, because no matter how complicated this already was, it can always get _complicateder_ , if she let them do willy-nilly.

Making a decision, praying they were far away enough from the youma, Minako summoned her Love Me Chain from where it was wrapped around the monster's body. And just as Mamoru got ready to make his move, Minako confidently whipped out her hand upward, the weapon materializing just as she knew it would. A flicker of her wrist later, and Mamoru and Usagi were effectively tied together, her two hands covered completely by the Love Me Chain were they were holding on to him, one end even wrapping upwards Mamoru's arm

"Right," she murmured. "That should get you both out of trouble. Now if you'll excuse me, I got to put my foot up some Dark Kingdom ass."

* * *

She prays, but the Gods don't answer. She hurt, but the Gods don't heal. She goes to him in his dreaming, becomes important to him even in waking, but it doesn't fill the void in her soul. There is truth in the world. There is a right and there is a wrong. She knows this.

But...

He is there. He is right before her.

(He is safe.)

(And that was always all that mattered.)

Why doesn't she feel it? The love that was, the love that should be?

She thought to leave the safety of the fog, to burst forth and calm him, her beloved prince, but when she tried, she found herself unable to move. A chain bound her to a pillar.

Not your story, a gentle voice whispered behind her. Not your life.


	8. Chapter 8

Mamoru shifted his feet so that Usagi wouldn't be able to kick him. She'd been looking at his shins for a while now, with a wet, crazy, high gleam in her eyes. When she saw what Mamoru did, she frowned then pouted. Mamoru was too angry about the fact he couldn't look for Sailormoon to think she looked adorable when she did.

It's been five minutes or so since he and Usagi got forced to share each other's company, with the damn whip just getting tighter the more they tried to unwound it. It's frustrating, and both of them were now ready to turn at each other. Calming down wasn't an option, not when both can hear the fight escalating far away and both realizing with a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach that they can't help, not the way they were now.

They heard Sailor Venus scream in the windy stillness, and Usagi stiffened before him.

"She's gonna die," she whispered.

Mamoru glanced down and saw she was trembling. Her face had gone pale.

He didn't think about what he was doing, of the fact he was suddenly snaking his free hand to tug Usagi close to him. Anchor her in his good arm. Hold her tight. Close to him. Safe.

"She'll be fine." Mamoru's face was drawn, and his jawline shook with suppressed agony. He was still angry, but more important was his despair. He had to make a choice, and he chose the girl, yet again. Sailor Moon... she'll be fine, too. That's what he told himself.

The lies you tell yourself.

Usagi had gone quiet, though she still trembled.

"Calm down," he whispered. "Everything will be alright. She'll come—Sailormoon, she'll help her."

Usagi started to sob, and he felt her shake her head at his words. Felt her try to flinch away from him with a small, whining cry. He realized he had to get her away from there, from the lovely sinister haze that was surrounding the area. _They_ had to get away. He can't protect her when both his loyalties were constantly being tested. He chose Usagi. But he can't keep reminding himself of the fact.

She was protesting loudly as he pulled her away, but he was more stubborn than she was, and more importantly, he was bigger and stronger. Usagi howled as they got further and further away from the fight, even resorting to calling him all the insults her innocent self could come up with. He couldn't be bothered to answer back; his mouth was full of metal. Of blood. Biting his tongue to keep from screaming, drawing a shuddering, weeping breath.

She'll be safe, he kept repeating to himself. She's strong. Everything will be alright.

* * *

The little brat just had to kick his shin.

It pissed him off enough that he didn't bother to be gentle as he dragged her back to the arcade.

Inside, the place was quiet. What few people were there were sitting quietly, huddled with each other. News of another monster attack had them scared, and they worried if it was safer to stay where they were or run home. Mamoru didn't spare them a look and was about to call to Motoki, but Usagi tugged him back away from the building. She was frantically hissing his name as she did.

"Baka! We can't go in there!"

"The hell why not!"

She sputtered angrily and then started to flail her arms up and down. It was hard enough to hurt. He felt like his shoulder was getting wrenched out of its socket.

"Hello?!" she whispered. "Our hands?" She looked at him like he was a moron.

With an oath he turned towards the alley next to the Crowns.

"We need to get back!" She stomped her feet for emphasis.

"No."

"What, are we just gonna stay here then?! Min—Sailor Venus needs our help! That youma, it's not like the others!"

Mamoru's face was wooden. He stared at the girl hard. The pupils of Usagi's eyes had grown to a huge, fragile size. "How would you know? And why do you call it a youma?"

"What?"

"How do you know what to call it?"

Usagi stood frozen. The both of them were. Her eyes went sideways, and Mamoru could almost imagine seeing the cogs inside Usagi's head as it tried to find an answer. She's going to go smarty-pants about it, he thought, frustration building up some more. Mamoru begged himself to develop some patience with himself, because it's not in Usagi to lie, much less lie well.

"The news?"

"Usagi."

"Uhm, the...I heard it? Sailor Venus, in the forest, she..." She shuffled awkwardly, remembering too late they were together and Minako hadn't mentioned the word youma. She cleared her throat, buying some time, but her face was getting redder, the tell-tale flush making him more suspicious. It occurred to him just then she'd been using the word youma for a while now, but he'd been too distracted to take notice. Resentfully, she stared at her feet, brow knitting as she thought of a better answer.

When Motoki opened the back entrance to the alley, she just about jumped three feet in the air.

* * *

Towards the center, Chiba Mamoru, absolute control. Spinning out of its orbit, Tsukino Usagi absolute chaos. Chaos, control. Compare the cold, rationale energy of the young man with the mindless inner fire of the girl. And at the extremity, in the black, Furuhata Motoki. He was curious and getting more curious as the seconds ticked by.

"How come everyone's gone?"

"Huh? Oh, they left after the radio said Sailor Venus won. You know how it gets around here, when those monster pop up. So yeah, Sailor Venus did that? That's what you said, right?"

Mamoru remained silent, choosing to keep drinking his coffee and let Usagi and Motoki talk. Usagi glared at him in resentment, not enjoying she was the one who had to give all the answers. And how unfair that the stupid Baka could drink that ick, whereas she can't ask for strawberry milkshake on account of her hands being tied up.

"Yeah, she kinda... I dunno, thought it would be better."

"Better?"

Usagi was starting to crack. She felt her lower lips tremble, because Motoki wasn't supposed to be an idiot but he kept talking about the wrong stuff. Who cared that the Baka and her were tied up by Sailor Venus' whip! "Motoki-ni-chan! What happened to Sailor Venus?!

"I told you, she won."

"But how?!"

"Geez, Odango, pipe down, will you. You're giving me a headache."

There was a pause, and then—

"Son of a bitch!"

"Whoa, whoa, Chiba. Language!"

"She kicked me!"

"You deserve it, you jerk!"

Chaos, completely. Just like any other day, when everything cool and collected in Mamoru disintegrate when faced with Usagi's force. Motoki allowed himself a moment to roll his eyes before shouting for the two idiots to shut up. They stopped their bickering immediately, looking at him in shock. When he ordered them to sit down, they did so while still gaping at him.

"Better," Motoki muttered. "So we're back to this huh? This whole dog-cat deal you two have? No, no—Usagi, no! I ask the questions around here. And stop that, it's not going to work this time."

Uagi sniffed a sob,and Motoki would have felt bad, _really_ , except he was too busy feeling scared with Mamoru giving him a look that promised death.

What.

He watched Mamoru reach out and wipe an errant tear on Usagi's left cheek. He heard Mamoru gently coax a smile from her by promising the girl he was going to shove Motoki in a dumpster later.

What.

What.

This was how they were going to repay him for all the months he'd play referee for them? "Oh, come on! Usagi, you don't want that, right?"

It took him to pleading at her with all the adorableness he had it in him for Usagi to reluctantly shake her head and giggle a bit. Which was great, but Mamoru was back to looking at him murderously. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling it hard to breathe. He thought how today was all madness—Usagi's world—and Mamoru was giving in to it at last. Something he'd been hoping for since the day he realized his best friend was falling in love and didn't know it. But he'd prefer for Mamoru not to kill him in the process. Clearing his throat, he made hand gestures to placate the two.

"So, look, that's just what the radio said. That she got the monster, because the lightning storm is gone and she told the people at the park it was all good and then she left. You know? They do that, the whole leaving after a fight." He stopped long enough to see if Usagi and Mamoru were accepting his account of the incident with the Senshii. "From what the reporter said, she was seen leaving the park alone, all banged up-,"

"Sailor Moon wasn't there?"

"What? No, she wasn't. At least that's what the repor—Usagi, you okay? Yeah? Okay, so like I said, she was alone. None of the others—Whoa, calm down, Usagi, what—hey, you're gonna hurt yourself doing that!"

Usagi was trying to bite at the whip holding her and Mamoru hostage, but to no good. Mamoru held up a hand to stop Motoki from getting close to where he and the girl were sitting, shaking his head to indicate it was better to just let her do what she wanted. Bewildered, Motoki sat back down on the stool he was occupying.

Ignoring Usagi for now, Mamoru asked his question. "You're sure they said Sailor Moon wasn't there?"

"Yeah. Just Sailor Venus. Mamoru, I don't think it's safe for her to bite that thing."

"She's fine. I—was there any report of anyone seeing Sailor Moon somewhere else?"

Motoki shook his head.

"Okay. That... okay."

The best friends stared at each other, Mamoru clearly relieved and Motoki curiouser and curiouser. In fact, he made to open his mouth to now ask his questions, hoping now he won't get interrupted from his friendly interrogation of the events leading to the stand-off at the alley. But Mamoru cut him off. "Can you get my car? Here's my key. The guard in my building knows who you are. We can't stay here like this."

Usagi paused from what she was doing, and slowly raised her head up. She blinked, and a question was in her eyes. Mamoru looked at her steadily. When the dawning came to Usagi, she was freaked out enough to forget she was still tied to Mamoru; she fell into a heap on the floor as she tried to scramble away, dragging the young man down with her. Motoki would have helped her up, _really,_ but Mamoru growled for him to get his car _right now_. Motoki gave the dark-haired man the best withering looks this side of Martha Stewart but also did as he was told, giving their female companion a shrug. It wasn't that he was afraid of Mamoru _per se,_ but Mamoru wasn't going to lay a finger on Usagi. Better her than him, basically, on account she was perfectly safe with him.

It's a matter of trust.

Still on the floor, the two watched Motoki lock up the arcade, with Usagi giving an outraged squeak as it became clear to her Motoki wasn't joking about leaving them. When they heard the click of the lock, Mamoru's silky drawl was meant for the bedroom than where they were all tangled up together.

"About the youma..."

* * *

Chapter 8

Luna and Artemis ran side by side, stricken at what Minako had told them before she ran off to help the rest of the girls to fight Zoiciete. It was worse that Luna can't seem to zero in on Usagi, no matter how hard she tried to use what inane magic resting deep in her to look for her charge. Artemis was no source of comfort, especially since the white Mau made it clear earlier Usagi had to be stopped if she couldn't be controlled. She had hissed and spit, demanding to know what Artemis meant by that, but felt the cold truth of Artemis' words settling inside her. Control Usagi... a preposterous thought. They were supposed to guide the scouts, to help them remember...

Silver Millenium, that was her home. And she obeyed the laws of its ruler.

But inside, nestled with the truth Artemis just told her, is a thought. Luna was aware she now exists at cross-purpose to whatever governing body that still existed—what was left of what was once her beautiful home. They were on one side, the ones who only want to send Usagi out to war, lion of the Goddess, to do their bidding—and she can't agree with that anymore. So what to do with a tool you're bound to protect, if you can't use it the way you're supposed to? If Usagi becomes a danger to the society she exists to patrol, where does that leave the Guardian? Luna can't kill her - she's part of her soul.

They stopped to watch where a pin prick of darkness was zeroing in on a patch of downtown Tokyo, hackles raising as the stench of the Dark Kingdom polluted the air from that direction. Artemis mewed brokenly, no doubt thinking about Minako, and Luna felt compassion enough to nudge her friend gently. "You trained her well. She's stronger than the others."

Artemis shook his head. "Not strong enough to face a general."

Luna huffed. "They're strong together. Once we find Usagi-,"

"We can't trust Usagi."

"Stop saying that! Of course we can trust Usagi! She's their leader. She—" She gave him a "for fuck's sake" look, before running off, blindly, to look for the girl with the long golden hair. The girl she must protect.

Artemis stayed behind, mournful and conflicted. The memories in him were hazy, fogged up and ever shifting. He hears a voice, crystal clear, and also hears its echo. Two thoughts, twins of each, telling him two different things. He'd wondered at first why he remembered so much more than Luna, and why did he protect just one Warrior over Luna's four. When he'd come upon Usagi that morning, more memories came to him. And he realized - though it's scary and seems to be more trouble coming still – what was happening to the Senshii leader actually initiates them all into the next level of the game. Lost innocence traded for power, that was what the crystal clear voice whispered in his head. "I won't. I won't." That was whispered by the other.

They weren't meant for him to hear, this he knew. But he was the only one willing to listen, so they came to him instead of the one who needed the knowledge they must impart. More of the magic that was, he thought.

One more look at where he knew Minako was fighting yet again, and then he ran off to Luna. As he did, he wondered if maybe he shouldn't have made Minako join the others. That she was better off alone, loyal only to herself...


End file.
